CrossFit Games 2014 (Vanity/Chat Thread)

CrossFit Games ^ | 23JUL14 | FSE

[Future Snake Eater]

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENTS

ESPN 3

WEDNESDAY (23 JULY)

THE BEACH

9AM Pacific
Points Available: 100

For time:
Swim 250 yards
50 kettlebell thrusters (35 / 24 lb.)
30 burpees
Swim 500 yards
30 burpees
50 kettlebell thrusters (35 / 24 lb.)
Swim 250 yards

OVERHEAD SQUAT

6:30PM Pacific
Points Available: 100

1-rep-max overhead squat

Athletes will each have 3 attempts.

[Future Snake Eater]

This year has seen a major shakeup in terms of who is competing. In years past, former Games champions received invititations to the Games regardless of how they placed in the Regionals. Some regions (most notably Central East, the SEC of the CrossFit world) were able to send more than three people. This year--no invites, no more than three people per region.

Last year's women's champion, Sam Briggs, did not place high enough to qualify for the Games in the Europe Regional, largely due to her weakness in the handstand walk event. Mikko Salo, the 2009 men's champion, bowed out once again due to injury. Matt Chan, also a multiple-Games veteran, is not competing this year due to injury. Annie Thorisdottir, the women's champion in 2011 and 2012, sat out last year's season due to a back injury, but she won the 2014 Europe Regional and is back at the Games along with another no-show from last year (due to her pursuit of a MD), Julie Foucher.

Last year's rookie and Jason Khalipa-protege, Garrett Fisher, did not make the cut in the NorCal Region, though his 20-yr old sister, Lauren Fisher, did. Kristin Clever, the 2010 women's champion, bowed out of individual competition and is now on a team, whereas 2012 and 2013 champion team leader Tommy Hackenbruck of Hack's Pack Ute is back in the individual competition this year. Six-time Games veteran Chris Spealler, who claimed he was retiring in 2012, made another run in 2013 but failed to qualify for the Games. He's back again this year for his seventh (and, supposedly, final) trip to the Games.

Then there's the biggest name in CrossFit--Rich Froning. The three-time Games champion (2011, 2012, and 2013) is going back for his fourth title. Froning has claimed that this will be his last year as an individual competitor which, if he holds to that, does not rule out the team competition or even a position in the newly-formed NPGL.

Now, go throw on your favorite Rogue t-shirt, grab a paleo snack, and open a delicious bottle of water, and let's watch the fittest people on Earth battle it out in 2014!

[Future Snake Eater]

Ping to this year’s Games!

[raybbr]

Man, those one legged squats with the kettle bell? I was in pain just watching the women do them.

[EEGator]

Thank you for the Ping Sir.

[goodwithagun]

Thanks for the thread!

[goodwithagun]

Streaming a rerun of the women’s masters decision. So inspiring!

[Theoria]

Thanks for the ping. Lets see if Rich can go out on top.

I heard he won this past Central East while having bronchitis.

[Future Snake Eater]

Yeah, and he didn't just win, he dominated the entire weekend.

Here is a great rundown.

[Future Snake Eater]

I actually got to meet Sharon Lapkoff (last year’s women’s Master’s 60+ winner) at her home box of CrossFit Frederick in Frederick, MD. Very cool lady.

[Future Snake Eater]

The Beach event is over!

The top 3 men’s finishers are Jordan Troyan (former collegiate swimmer), Jonne Koski (Mikko Salo protege), and Josh Bridges (former Navy SEAL). Rich Froning, who usually starts pretty weak in the Games and is usually weakest in swim events, came in 8th place, so that makes him even more dangerous than usual.

The top 3 women’s finishers are Anna Tunnicliffe (former Olympian), Chyna Cho, and Kara Webb. Julie Foucher and Annie Thorisdottir came in 13th and 15th places, respectively.

Next up is the Overhead Squat event. It’ll start at 6:30pm Pacific for the women and 7:30pm Pacific for the men. That’s definitely past my bedtime on a work night on the East Coast, so I’ll update tomorrow!

[Squantos]

Grateful for the ping troop.....stay safe !

[fkabuckeyesrule]

****Man, those one legged squats with the kettle bell? I was in pain just watching the women do them.****

I saw that on the Cross Fit Games when it was on tv last sunday. That did seem tough. In my Insanity class at the gym we were supposed to do low back lunges and then burst jump forward. I could not do that.

[Future Snake Eater]

Last night saw the Overhead Squat 1RM event.

Rich Froning tied for first with Mathew Fraser with a 377lb OHS. They both barely edged out Tommy Hackenbruck who came in third place with a 376lb lift.

For the women, Kara Webb won with 250lb. Camille Leblanc-Bazinet came in second place with 242lb, and Amanda Goodman came in third with 241lb.

Jordan Troyan, who won The Beach event, wasn't able to complete any of his three attempts and fell to 12th place overall. Conversely, Jeff Evans (former college football player), who came in dead last on The Beach, came in fourth place with 375lb and moved up to 20th place overall.

Now, even before the Individual events have even begun in earnest, Rich Froning sits in 1st place overall with an 18-point lead over 2nd place Mathew Fraser. Noah Olsen is in 3rd place with veterans Scott Panchik and Ben Smith right behind him in 4th and 5th, respectively.

In the women's competition, Kara Webb is in 1st place with a 20-point lead over Camille Leblanc-Bazinet. Cassidy Lance is tied with Camille Leblanc-Bazinet with 170 points, though the leaderboard shows Camille in 2nd and Cassidy in 3rd. Veterans Michele Letendre and Chyna Cho are about 15 points behind them.

My own personal "person to cheer for" is female competitor Sheila Barden--one of my former coaches when I first started CrossFit up in Syracuse, NY. She's a really cool lady who just exudes passion and energy. This is her first trip to the Games, and she's currently in 32nd place overall. Go, Sheila!

Next up, the Games get real serious for the Individuals and Teams starting on Friday morning with....

TRIPLE 3

10:00AM Pacific
Points Available: 100

For time:

Row 3,000 meters
300 double-unders
Run 3 miles

So, it's time to come clean. What's your PR for the overhead squat? I hit 235lb about a year ago. Not sure if I could match that right now (injured myself on a missed squat clean earlier this year, so anything involving using my wrists has been put on the backburner for a while). Watching these guys routinely hit 315+ was really amazing!

[Theoria]

Looks like the Triple 3 will be one for some of the ‘little’ guys. I think Scott Panchik will do really well on it. Rich will be up there, perhaps top 15. Khalipa is a great rower. He has suffered in the past on runs. But, he will come out the 3k row close to the lead.

[Future Snake Eater]

This one could be the Bailey/Panchik/Bridges show, but Froning will likely do well. He said he put a lot of work into his endurance training this year. I definitely think Khalipa will do better than most people think. He said last year that his endurance training got him into the multiple 6min-mile range, which, especially for a big guy, is very impressive, and, as you stated, he’s very, very good on the rower. He proved that on the half-marathon event last year.

[Theoria]

Heh. Looks like I was big time wrong on Rich and Scott. But these 'endurance' events are really bringing out the panthers.

If they have some more lifts and other typical girl events some of the lifters will get back into this.

Perhaps it's me, but more and more this looking like a modified adventure race.

[Future Snake Eater]

Well that was......interesting.

The Triple 3 event appeared to be mostly dominated by rookies while the veterans lagged behind significantly. Rich Froning, in particular, completely fell apart on the 3-mile run portion, finishing up in 37th place, dropping him from 1st place overall to 6th. Newbie Rob Forte won the event, and The Beach event winner Jorday Troyan came in second place. The men's top 3 now stands at Noah Ohlsen, Jordan Troyan, and Josh Bridges, but the points are still very tight as less than 30 points separates 1st place from 10th, and there's still a loooong weekend to go!

For the women, Anna Tunnicliffe and Kristin Holte were pacing each other most of the way, but at the end Holte poured on the speed and won the event by 7 seconds. The women's leaderboard wasn't shaken up as much with Kara Webb and Camille Leblanc-Bazinet maintaining their 1st and 2nd place standings, but Anna Tunnicliffe is now sitting in 3rd place overall. The spread is also more limited as it's about 30 points between 1st place and 5th, but about 50 points between 1st and 10th. Not insurmountable by any stretch, but it's interesting that the women are more spaced out.

Coming up RIGHT NOW!:

SLED SPRINT 1

2:45PM Pacific
Points Available: 50

SLED SPRINT 2

Points Available: 50

There is still a "TBA" WOD tonight at 4:30PM (Pacific). We'll see!

[Future Snake Eater]

Oops, forgot.

Sled Sprint 1:
Sled push for time (100 / 60 yards)
Time cap: 2 minutes

Sled Sprint 2:
Sled push for time (100 / 60 yards)
Time cap: 3 minutes

Each heat does both sprints back-to-back. Not sure how long the break is between each sprint, but it’s not much!

[EEGator]

I would be dead by now.

[ZinGirl]

Please excuse the hijack. I had to read this thread because my daughter Christina has recently (since spring) gotten into CrossFit. She loves the community and camaraderie. Being at college, she feels she doesn't fit into the partying scene too much, but fell in love with the people she met at CrossFit. She wanted to go to the Games in May in DC, but didn't make it. When she came home at the end of the semester, we let her join the local one...and she loves it even more!

She is abroad now in Melbourne, Australia, and we had a Skype session the other day where she was a bit upset with us because we aren't necessarily going to pony up the $$$ so she can join the St. Kilda CrossFit near her.

Then today....she is very ill. And we are so far away. I think for the first time, I posted a vanity thread for prayer for my family. If any of you fellow CrossFit peeps feel led to pray or send some thoughts, I would greatly appreciate it. It would make her DAY to know that I had posted on a CrossFit thread and that others were encouraging her! Thank you in advance...and I hope it's not too much of an intrusion on this thread.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3185032/posts

:( I'm so sorry...I can't seem to get it to hyperlink. :(