With the close of the first day of competition in stage one of the 2020 Reebok CrossFit Games, two very familiar faces sat atop the leaderboard. Mat Fraser and Tia-Clair Toomey kicked off their quests to set new records for most championships in powerful form.
Thirty men and 30 women were invited to the Games, and stage one is an online competition in athletes’ homes or local gyms in one of 16 different countries. This first stage will determine final placements and prize money for Games winners from sixth to 30th place. The top five men and women will be invited to compete in Aromas, California, in the finals under strict safety protocols. There will be filming and streaming of all events for fans on the CrossFit Games site and broad promotion of the Games across mainstream and social media. More info on how to watch here.
Day 1 presented athletes with Friendly Fran, 1RM Front Squat, Damn Diane, and 1,000-Meter Row. See official event descriptions here.
The CrossFit Games studio went live to discuss the results of Events 1 and 2 at 12 p.m. PT and again at 6 p.m. PT to discuss the results of Events 3 and 4. Commentators Sean Woodland and Annie Sakamoto, alongside reporter Niki Brazier, delivered the results live from The Ranch in Aromas, California.
Three-time Fittest Woman on Earth Tia-Clair Toomey and four-time Fittest Man on Earth Mat Fraser dominated Event 1 with times of 3:40 and 3:08, respectively. Toomey earned her second victory of the day on Event 2 when she successfully lifted 313 lb., while individual Games rookie Griffin Roelle lifted 490 lb., earning his first event win. Watch Brooke Wells earn her third-place finish in Event 1 below.
Event 3, a combination of deadlifts and strict handstand push-ups, was more of the same with Fraser and Toomey taking the win with times of 2:44 and 2:28, respectively. But Event 4 took the wins international: Roman Khrennikov of the Russian Federation took the Event 4 win, with a blistering 1,000-meter row time of 2:48.9, while Karin Freyová of Slovakia took the win for the women with a row time of 3:15.8.
At the close of the day, standings for the top five are:
Men
1. Mat Fraser
2. Noah Ohlsen
3. Bayden Brown
4. Jeffrey Adler
5. Jonne Koski
Women
1. Tia-Clair Toomey
2. Brooke Wells
3. Amanda Barnhart
4. Kara Saunders
5. Dani Speegle
Notable athletes missing in the top 10 after Day 1 include Iceland’s Sara Sigmundsdottir and Björgvin Karl Guðmundsson, American Kari Pearce, and Canadian Brent Fikowski.
Throughout the day, fans posted to social media using the hashtag #CFGCheers to support the athletes from afar. Many got creative with homemade artwork, fan photos, and even pet photos to cheer on their favorite athletes.
Tomorrow showcases Events 5, 6, and 7: Nasty Nancy, a triplet of running, overhead squats, and bar-facing burpees; Handstand Hold, a max freestanding hold; and Awful Annie, a combination of double-unders with a special rope, GHD sit-ups, and barbell cleans. At the end of the day we’ll know which five men and five women will head to Aromas, California, for the in-person finals in October.
Coverage of Day 2 starts Saturday, Sept. 19, at 12 p.m. PT/7 p.m. GMT on Games.CrossFit.com and the CrossFit Games Facebook page.
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Top image courtesy of Lindsey Miller