20.3 — For the OGs

November 13, 2019

CrossFit

Open Workout 20.3 was all about the OGs. 

Open Workout 20.3 was all about the OGs. 

Victories in both the male and female divisions went to CrossFit Games veterans, who between them boast 17 years of CrossFit Games experience: Austin Malleolo, with a time of 5:54, and two-time CrossFit Games champion Annie Thorisdottir, who finished in 5:21.

The workout was a repeat of Open Workout 18.4, two sets of 21-15-9 featuring handstand push-ups, 50-foot handstand walks, and increasingly heavy deadlifts.

Thorisdottir, for one, was excited to see a heavy barbell.

“Gotta love us some DL!” she wrote.

If you’re new to the Sport of Fitness, you might not recognize Malleolo’s name; it’s been a few years since it graced the top of the leaderboard. But he competed as an individual at the Games from 2010 to 2013 and again in 2015 before joining the team competition in 2017 and 2018. His best individual finish was eighth in 2012. 

Of course, you might know Malleolo if you’ve attended a CrossFit Level 1 Certificate Course. The 32-year-old has been on the Level 1 Seminar Staff for 10 years, teaching the foundations of CrossFit in just shy of 400 seminars. 

Austin Malleolo - CrossFit Training

If you were surprised to see him win 20.3, you shouldn’t have been. Malleolo also won the workout two years ago when it was 18.4. This year, he shaved eight seconds off his time. 

“Older and fitter,” he wrote. “CrossFit is cool, huh?” 

The victory marks Malleolo’s fourth career Open workout win.

Austin Malleolo

Malleolo’s not the only one getting fitter with age.

Thirty-year-old Thorisdottir’s 5:21 beat her 18.4 time by 1:13. It was also 37 seconds faster than 2018’s winning time of 5:58, which went to Carol-Ann Reason-Thibault (Reason-Thibault also improved on her 18.4 time, finishing the workout in 5:41 for sixth place in 20.3).

Thorisdottir hasn’t exactly been off the radar, having competed in every CrossFit Games since 2009, with the exception of the 2013 competition. She took back-to-back titles as Fittest on Earth in 2011 and 2012 and won the Open in 2011 and 2015.

Annie Thorisdottir - CrossFit Games champion

But she hasn’t won an Open workout since 12.2, and her performance — which launched her from ninth to third overall after 20.3 — proves it’s never wise to count a Dottir out. The victory adds to her tally for a total of four career Open workout wins.

Malleolo and Thorisdottir each took home US$2,020.00.

Then they took a well-deserved break — even if it was just two days. 


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