An In-Depth Look at this Year’s CrossFit Open
The CrossFit Open is a five-week-long workout competition in which thousands of fitness heads compete for the best times in the world. This year, the event was held between February 21 and March 25. The top athletes from the Open then compete in a regional competition, after which the top three athletes will head to the CrossFit Games in Madison, Wisconsin to compete for the title of “Fittest on Earth” later this year.
This year’s Open consisted of workouts including muscle-ups, handstand walks and snatches. During this five-week, five-workout competition, workouts were released online each Thursday and athletes had until the following Monday to submit their scores. Anyone who is at least 14 years old can sign up and participate in the first stage of the CrossFit Games season. The majority of athletes for the games compete in the 18 years and up league. However, there are also age categories such as 14-15, 16-17, 35-39 and up to 60+.
The top performer from this year’s CrossFit Open was defending Cross- Fit Games champion Matt Fraser of the United States. Fraser ended the Open placing first in two workouts, second in one, third in one and 59th in one with a total of 66 points. The scoring is similar to golf, where the lowest score wins. Your place in a workout determines the number of points you earn. First place gets one point, second gets two, and so on. The closest athlete to Matt Fraser was Lefteris Theofanidis of Greece, with 75 points. Fraser is the favorite to win this year’s Men’s CrossFit Games.
This year’s women’s CrossFit Open was won by Sara Sigmundsdóttir of Iceland. Sigmundsdóttir ended with a total of 42 points, placing sixth in two events, second in one, twenty-third in one and fifth in one. The closest athlete to Sigmundsdóttir was Annie Thorisdottir with 74 points. Thorisdottir, also from Iceland, was the first woman to win back-to-back Crossfit Games in 2011 and 2012.
While we expect to see young athletes like Fraser and Sigmundsdóttir in the main CrossFit games, the 60+ division is always one to watch. This year’s men’s 60+ division was won by 60-year-old Carl Giuffre from the United States with 28 points. Giuffre’s best workout of the Open was the fifth workout, 19.5, where he placed second. This workout consisted of a ladder workout where one does 33 thrusters, a combination of a front squat and an overhead press with 95 pounds followed by 33 chest to bar pull ups. The athlete then does the same sequence but with 27 reps, followed by 21 reps, then 15, then 9. Giuffre finished 19.5 with a time of 10:47.
The regional competitions will take place in May where the athletes will compete for a top three spot for a chance to make the games in August. One can only guess what type of workouts the CrossFit creators will plan for the regionals. Will athletes have to swim, then run, then lift or climb, then lift, then jump? However, for the athletes, one thing is for sure. It is time to train.
Contact Jack Breitowich at [email protected].
