On Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017 Reebok CrossFit Games athletes had a chance to practice the obstacle course. The course proved challenging for some while others looked as if they'd done it a million times before.
InstaGames articles are updated throughout the day with selected posts from CrossFit's social-media accounts. For instant analysis from the competition floor, post-event athlete commentary, and spectacular photos and videos, follow CrossFit and the CrossFit Games on Instagram.
12 p.m., Obstacle Course
The female individual athletes agree with many of the men that the log-rope-log obstacle is toughest. The end of the first log is about 3 feet high, and it's separated from the rope by about 4 feet. The landing log is another 4 feet away, about a foot off the ground, and many athletes are struggling to land on it because they're attacking the rope incorrectly.
"I jumped too high and I didn't have enough rope to make it to the second log," Bridgers explained after her five minutes on the course.
Briggs mentioned her struggles with the swing to Abbott, who told me the rope swing is the most likely to cause a stumble, which can be disastrous.
"I think of you miss one obstacle, you're done," she said.
Abbott said she thinks she can successfully clear it in eight of 10 attempts.
A few moments later, Holte caught her foot after flipping over the top of the cargo net and fell heavily to the sand. She dusted herself off and successfully cleared the obstacle on her third attempt.
"I think I held it the wrong way. The third time I managed to do it right. I have sand all over my face and in my mouth," she said with a smile.
12:30 p.m., Obstacle Course
During the Tuesday-morning walk-through at the obstacle course, Games Director Dave Castro broke in to Adrian Bozman's briefing to point to the cargo net and the wall as obstacles requiring caution. "Those are the two places where you're going to fuck yourself up," Castro said.
Here's when Demo Team member Alderman cleared each obstacle during a clean run through the course:
Cargo net - 0:13
Swing - 0:18
Monkey bars - 0:26
Wall - 0:34
Overs - 0:42
Ropes - 0:50
Stumps - 0:55
Low net - 0:58
Ladder - 1:08
Cody Anderson said he was surprised by the finesse required to swing from log to the log to complete the second obstacle. A master of gymnastics movements, Anderson said the course will reward the calculated gambler. "You have a combination of staying calm and taking risks."
6:30 p.m., Athlete Reception at the Edgewater
At Tuesday night's reception at the Edgewater on Lake Mendota, Dave Castro unveiled new signature equipment for the first Games in Madison: a Cheese Curd heavy sandbag and bales of hay. Both will test individuals, while the teams will use a new Skinny Bob and a much heavier Worm with equal loads for all males and equal loads for all females—no hiding.
Tia-Clair Toomey was thrilled by the local flavor: "That's really exciting. I love how he's bringing in the Madison culture."
The loads for the strongman event were not released, but the Olympian wants a lot of weight.
"The heavier, the better," she said.
She's looking forward to the combo of grunt work and handstand walks.
"I like the heavy workouts, and I do love the body-weight movements."