The launch of the CrossFit Games is always a momentous occasion, but especially so in 2021, after what was for many athletes a lost competitive year in 2020. With a new men’s champion guaranteed and the dominant women’s and team’s champions aiming to hold onto the throne, every day has been intense.
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CrossFit Games 2021 Day 2 Highlights: Wednesday, July 28
Wednesday saw the start of open-class individual competition, and could be summed up in four words: Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr. The four-time champion started off in dominating fashion, while the men’s side saw a lot more drama in the early going.
Event 1: One-mile swim with fins, 3-mile kayak
As has been tradition for the last few years, the opening event started in water. It was a combination of swimming and rowing for the competitors in Madison, Wisconsin. On the men’s side, Jonne Koski took the victory, while Toomey-Orr kicked off her title defense with a victory by 8 seconds.
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Event 2: Drag, flip, muscle-up medley
Meet the 2021 Games’ first cruel multi-movement combo from the mind of Dave Castro. It consisted of:
- 126-foot sled drag: Men 220 pounds, Women 180 pounds
- Five ”Pig” Flips: Men 510 pounds, Women 350 pounds
- 12 ring muscle-ups
- 12 bar muscle-ups
- Repeat events in reverse order
There was a 12-minute time cap on this symmetrical event, but the top finishers were able to do it in less than nine. Former Games’ runner-up Patrick Vellner won on the men’s side, while Toomey-Orr went two for two and claimed first place in this event by over a minute.
Event 3: 550-yard sprint
Yep, a good old-fashioned foot race. Some events are simple, but can still provide intense moments. Athletes didn’t know the time to beat, because there was no clock on display. The men’s winner was Guilherme Malheiros while, stop me if you’ve heard this before, Toomey-Orr won on the women’s side.
Event 4: Wall walk, barbell thruster
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
- Wall walks
- Thrusters: Men 185 pounds, Women 135 pounds
The final event of the day was a 110-rep marathon for the shoulders. If the judge didn’t approve the rep, it didn’t count, so athletes had to pace themselves to be among the top finishers. The men’s winner was Scott Panchik, who is retiring after this year. On the women’s side, Toomey-Orr’s perfect day was finally broken up by 17-year-old Mallory O’Brien, the youngest winner of an event in Games history.
After Day 1 of individual events, here are your top three on both sides:
Men
- Brent Fikowski - 322 points
- Justin Medeiros - 313 points
- Jonne Koski - 310 points
Women
- Tia-Clair Toomey - 397 points
- Haley Adams - 340 points
- Kristin Holte - 331 points
Other Leaders: In the Men’s Upper Extremity Adaptive division, the overall leader is Casey Acree, who won both events today. The Men’s Lower Extremity leader is Ole Kristian Antonsen. Sabrina Lopez is in the top position in the Women’s Upper Extremity division. Atop the leaderboard on the Women’s Lower Extremity field is Valerie Cohen. Brett Horchar is in first place on the Men’s Neuromuscular scoreboard while the leader for the women is Alisha Davis.
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CrossFit Games 2021 Day 1 Highlights: Tuesday, July 27
Tuesday high points included the start of the Teens, Adaptive, and Masters fields. The open class and men, women, and teams all begin their competitions on Wednesday, July 28, but several developments on Tuesday will impact how this year’s open-class competition plays out.
Two Prominent Women Out for Positive Tests: Kari Pearce was going into the Games in Madison, Wisconsin, as one of the favorites, while Bethany Shadburne was considered a rising star in the sport of fitness. Unfortunately, both ladies will now be out of the competition due to testing positive for COVID-19. Shadburne’s positive test was announced on Monday, July 26, while Pearce’s test was announced early in the morning on July 28.
Scott Panchik’s Final CrossFit Games: Ten-year CrossFit veteran Scott Panchik has been a fixture at the Games for the last decade. Before this year’s competition, he formally announced that he would be retiring from the Games after this week. Panchik has only finished outside of the top ten in the men’s field once and has reached as high as fourth in his career. His younger brother Saxon, a rising star in the sport at just 25 years old, will compete alongside/against his older brother once again this year.
Day 1: Adaptive Events Highlights
Event 1: The day started with endurance:
- Upper extremity: 4.5-mile run
- Lower extremity: 6,000-m SkiErg
- Neuromuscular: 3-mile run
Event 2: The battle continued with strength-endurance and power: 5 rounds for time of a rope climb for all classes, paired with either:
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Event 3: Now it was all about strength. In just 6 minutes, athletes were demanded to set a one-rep max in a big lift:
- Upper extremity: Deadlift (using equipment to add second point of contact, if necessary)
- Lower Extremity: Barbell snatch (full snatch, hang, or hang power)
- Neuromuscular: Barbell clean (full clean, hang clean, or hang power clean)