First of Nations

June 2, 2018

Andréa Maria Cecil

Meridian countries seek to send their first Individuals to the Games.

The crowd shouted in unison: “Will G, Will G, Will G!”

Frenchman Willy Georges had just won Saturday’s last event at the Meridian Regional at La Caja Mágica in Madrid, Spain, and his home-country fans were ecstatic.

Their yells were followed by vigorous waving of blue-white-and-red French flags.

At 25 years old, Georges would be the first Individual from France to qualify for the CrossFit Games.

But he doesn’t want to think about that.

“I don’t want to jinx it,” he said through a translator.

Georges, who is competing in his second Regional, started Day 2 in second place overall and ended it in third place overall. Last year, he placed 18th at the Meridian Regional. This year, he finished third in the worldwide Open.

In addition to France, Egypt and Italy also could see their first Individual competitors qualify for the CrossFit Games at the Meridian Regional this weekend.

Athletes representing all four countries started Day 2 in the top five. Only the top four men and women from the Meridian Regional will qualify for the Games.

Mohamed Elomda, who started CrossFit in 2014 after being on Egypt’s national rowing team, said his dream is to become the first of his countrymen to qualify for the Games. The 30-year-old is the only Individual athlete representing Egypt at the Regional.
 

Elomda
Elomda

Elomda placed 12th in Event 1, known as Triple 3, and first in Event 2, known as Linda, on Friday afternoon. During Saturday’s Event 3, involving muscle-ups, handstand walks over obstacles and single-leg squats, he placed 30th. That, he promised at the time, would be his worst event of the weekend.

“I’m planning to be top five in all of the workouts,” the Regional rookie said afterward. “I knew on this one it was my weak point.”

Later, however, Elomda recorded a 10th-place finish on Event 4. He ended Day 2 in ninth overall, 72 points behind fourth-place Lukas Esslinger.

The idea of Elomda being the first Individual from Egypt to qualify for the CrossFit Games put on smile on his coach’s face.

“The entire CrossFit community is cheering him on,” Ramy Saleh said.

Saleh opened CrossFit Stars—the first affiliate in the Middle Eastern country—in 2013.

For Manila Pennacchio, it would be an honor to represent Italy at the Games. This is her second time competing at the Meridian Regional. She started CrossFit in 2013.
 

Pennacchio
Pennacchio

Moments after finishing 29th on Event 3 on Saturday afternoon, the 31-year-old said she was surprised to see herself among the top women at the competition.

“I (exceeded) my expectations,” Pennacchio explained.

She finished sixth and first in Events 1 and 2, respectively, and placed third on Event 4. Pennacchio ended Day 2 in third place overall.

And she’s done it with the simplest of motivation: her name placard.

“Every time I see my name in front of me, I keep going.”


Men

1. Rasmus Andersen (328)

2. Elliot Simmonds (324)

3. Willy Georges (310)

4. Lukas Esslinger (308)

Women

1. Jamie Greene (388)

2. Lauren Fisher (308)

3. Manila Pennacchio (286)

4. Oddrun Eik Gylfadottir (262)

Teams

1. CF Riviera Team (342)

2. CrossFit Valley Road (332)

3. Cape CrossFit Wolfpack (304)

4. CrossFit Norte Redondela (288)

 

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