After three poor performances on the second day of competition, Rich Froning is in unfamiliar territory.
As the second day of CrossFit Games individual competition came to a close, people were talking about one thing: Rich Froning.
But unlike years past, the conversations focused on his uncharacteristically low finishes in the day’s first three events. Froning ended the day in fourth overall.
Meanwhile, Noah Ohlsen—a 23-year-old who started CrossFit about three years ago—sat in second place overall. Meanwhile, the three-time champion was left to earn his place at the top, where Jason Khalipa sat in first place and Josh Bridges was in third.
Froning’s troubles began in the morning with the Triple 3 event’s 3-mile run, when he slowed his pace to a walk multiple times; several competitors breezed past him. He finished the event in 37th overall.
Fans were shocked, and some took to Twitter.
“For the first time ever, @richfroning looks human. @CrossFit @CrossFitGames,” read one tweet.
Meanwhile, another Games follower was focused on Ohlsen: “@nohlsen is straight owning the @CrossFit games. #futureofthesport.”
After the event, Froning headed toward the ice baths near the athletes tent looking visibly disappointed.
“I just turned into a wuss,” he said, explaining he felt dizzy during the run.
“I haven’t been runnin’ enough,” he added.
As he settled into a chilly tub with James Hobart, who set along the edge, he was clearly upset.
“That was awful,” he told his Level 1 Seminar Staff colleague.
As athletes made their way through the run, they were moving to the side of the street that provided shade, seeking ways to save energy. Still, Hobart and Froning agreed the 84-degree weather wasn’t a factor.
“I just suck at running, I’ll be honest,” Hobart said.
Froning immediately replied: “I suck, too.”
The performance dropped the reigning champ to ninth place overall at that point in the day.
When asked how he felt about the day’s next two events—Sprint Sled 1 and Sprint Sled 2—Froning expressed uncertainty.
“I don’t even know anymore.”
That afternoon, after he pushed the sled into the blue paint at the end of the field on Sprint Sled 2, he shook his head. He finished the events in 15th and 27th, respectively, and fell to 12th place overall. When it came time for the day’s final event—which Games Director Dave Castro announced minutes after the Sprint Sled events—Froning was in unfamiliar territory: Heat 3 out of four.
“I’m not used to being in that third heat,” he said after the 21-15-9 Complex event, which he won.
Typically Froning doesn’t set the pace; most often, he comes from behind to win. This time, things were different.
“I needed to,” he explained. “Luckily, I had James (Hobart), go in an earlier heat and he said, ‘Step on the gas harder than you need to.’”
After recording a time of 4:16.63, Froning sat in a chair in the tunnel beneath the StubHub Center to watch the final heat streaming on a TV.
He had to know.
As the clock ticked past 4:16 and he saw Bridges finish at 4:26.03, he said, “Got it.”
He stood up, gave a confident nod and a half wink.
The Complex, indeed, was his.