The first week of the 2024 CrossFit Semifinals is complete, and the first round of CrossFit Games tickets have been distributed to the top teams and individuals in the Europe and Asia regions.
Take a look at the 2024 CrossFit Games qualifiers and highlights from Week 1 of Semifinals.
2024 CrossFit Games Qualifiers
EUROPE
Individual Men
- Lazar Đukić
- Jelle Hoste
- Henrik Haapalainen
- Aniol Ekai
- Luka Đukić
- Victor Hoffer
- Björgvin Karl Gudmundsson
- Harry Lightfoot
- Calum Clements
- Moritz Fiebig
Individual Women
- Laura Horvath
- Gabriela Migała
- Emma Tall
- Karin Freyová
- Aimee Cringle
- Claudia Gluck
- Linda Keesman
- Elisa Fuliano
- Emma McQuaid
- Jacqueline Dahlstrøm
Teams
- CrossFit Prestanda Kriger
- CrossFit Walleye Orka
- CrossFit Oslo Kriger PSL
- CrossFit Oslo Kriger BLST
- CrossFit Butcher’s Lab Flæk
- CrossFit Oslo Kriger Rizz
- C23 CrossFit The Progrm Motion
- CrossFit Holistic
ASIA
Individual Men
- Ivan Kukartsev
- Arthur Semenov
Individual Women
- Seher Kaya
- Seungyeon Choi
- Dawon Jung
Team
- KT CrossFit Kolesnikov Team
Week 1 Highlights
Cringle Challenges Champions
Photo by Anders Malm
As the individual women took the floor for the first time at the 2024 Europe Semifinal, all eyes were on Fittest Woman on Earth Laura Horvath, reigning Europe Semifinal champion Gabriela Migała, and 2024 Open winner Mirjam Von Rohr.
But soon, the gaze drifted to 25-year-old Amiee Cringle, whose swift touch-and-go clean and jerks opened a lead so wide it seemed as though the event was already won. In a photo-finish end, Migała edged out Cringle by just 2 seconds.
In the next event, Cringle took fourth. By the final day, she was sitting comfortably in a podium position alongside two champions.
It’s time to learn the name “Aimee Cringle.”
Cringle has been to every Semifinal since its inception in 2021, and each season, she has grazed the cutline — a Games debut just out of reach.
But this year is different.
Cringle is having the best performance of her career, taking 10th worldwide in the CrossFit Open and 11th in Europe at the Individual Quarterfinal.
After six events at the Europe Semifinal, she secured her first ticket to the CrossFit Games with a fifth-place finish overall.
Cringle’s determination was on display this weekend, and she’s established herself as a threatening force heading into her rookie year at the CrossFit Games.
The Most Dominant Semifinals Team of All Time
Photo by Peter Pan
The Kolesnikov team has done something no other Semifinals team has done before. They have won every Semifinal since its inception.
The team just banked its fourth Asia Semifinal championship, winning four of the five events.
Led by Aleksandr Plyushkin, the team has won 16 Semifinal events in its career and never placed below second in any event over the last four years.
Redemption for the Đukić Brothers
Photo by Nico Glenny
Last year’s Europe Semifinal was bittersweet for the Đukić brothers.
Lazar took home his second-straight championship title, but the chance to compete at the CrossFit Games again alongside his brother Luka was crushed early, as his brother was forced to medically withdraw after just one day due to an illness.
“If there is one thing I learned through my career it’s how to come back stronger after adversity, and that is what I will do again,” Luka said in an Instagram post.
The Đukić brothers returned to the 2024 Europe Semifinal ready for redemption.
During the final event of Day 2, the brothers’ lane assignments were placed side-by-side, fueling the sibling rivalry and enhancing the spectacle. Nearly in sync until the very last box jumps, Luka pumped the gas and surpassed the reigning Europe Semifinal champion to take second overall in the event.
And they kept that momentum high throughout the final day of competition.
Both brothers sat within the top five heading into the finale, and although Lazar was already guaranteed a ticket to the Games, Luka was still in danger of falling outside the cutline.
After finishing in 17th place, Luka lined up alongside his brother and the other men in Games contention, anxiously awaiting his fate.
Lazar was introduced first, becoming the first athlete to win three Semifinals. When the announcer reached fifth place, Lazar’s name boomed across the arena, and the brothers embraced in an emotional hug at the finish line.
Luka will be joining his brother once again at the CrossFit Games.
“For two years he couldn’t properly celebrate because I didn’t have a good year,” Luka said. “So I’m finally happy that both of us are back.”
CrossFit Oslo Makes History
Photo by Amy Wong
CrossFit Oslo in Norway is home to some of the best CrossFit Games teams in the world, showcasing the international community on the CrossFit Games podium for years. In fact, an Oslo team has stood on the Games podium for the last three years straight.
This year, the affiliate is continuing to make history. CrossFit Oslo just sent three teams to the CrossFit Games for the second year in a row.
CrossFit Oslo Kriger PSL, CrossFit Oslo Kriger BLST, and CrossFit Oslo Kriger Rizz were neck-and-neck with each other throughout the Semifinal.
By the end of the weekend, PSL finished in third, BLST in fourth, and Rizz in sixth, collecting three tickets to Fort Worth.
Elisa Fuliano’s Record-Breaking Performance Puts Her in Games Contention
Photo by Anders Malm
When Elisa Fuliano took the floor for the Event 5 Snatch Ladder at the Europe Semifinal, she was sitting two spots below the cutline of Games qualification.
But she knew she belonged within the top 10.
Not only did Fuliano take the event win at 5:01.24, but she broke the worldwide record set by 10-time Games athlete Kara Saunders at the 2016 Pacific Regional.
After a top-10 finish in the finale, Fuliano secured her third ticket to the CrossFit Games.
Seher Kaya Defends Her Crown
Photo by Peter Pan
Reigning Asia Semifinal Champion Seher Kaya started the 2024 Asia Semifinal strong with a first-place finish in Event 1. She completed her fifth and final round of an 800-meter run and 10 clean and jerks in 23:13, over 40 seconds ahead of the rest of the women’s field.
"I love running. It was much (more fun) to do it here than in training. It paid off to push hard in training so it felt easier on the floor," Kaya said.
That was just a taste of Kaya’s dominance in the Asia region. She kept the momentum going throughout the remainder of the weekend, winning four out of the six events.
Kaya secured her third ticket to the Games and defended her Asia Semifinal champion title for another year.
The European Rookies
Victor Hoffer
Photo by Anders Malm
Victor Hoffer had the ultimate redemption story at the Europe Semifinal and proved anything can happen over the course of six events.
The 21-year-old started the weekend with a 30th-place finish in Event 1. Although improving across each event, he still sat outside a Games-qualifying position heading into the final day of competition. But after a stellar performance in Event 4, he banked his first event win of the weekend and sat just 2 points outside 10th place. By the end of the competition, Hoffer had secured sixth place and his first ticket to the CrossFit Games.
Calum Clements
Photo by Nico Glenny
Calum Clements was the first to take the floor for the final event of the competition, and he was just three spots outside of Games contention. In a photo finish for first, Clements took the heat win over Jonne Koski in a time of 2:35.79.
All he had to do now was sit and wait. Would this score be enough to push him into the top 10?
After all 40 men had finished and scores were calculated, Clements’ time stood as third-best, and that moved him into ninth place, a Games-qualifying spot.
Clements will be making his CrossFit Games debut in Fort Worth.
Aniol Ekai
Photo by Anders Malm
Rising star Aniol “Nuru Dabai” Ekai was on the hunt for a Games-qualifying spot heading into the final day of the Europe Semifinal, sitting just above the cutline in ninth.
Starting the day with a 20th-place finish in Event 4, he recovered and banked a fourth-place finish in Event 5 and a second-place finish in Event 6. His stellar performance in the final two events bumped him into fourth place and earned him his first ticket to the CrossFit Games.
Get Ready for Week 2
Week 2 of the 2024 CrossFit Semifinals will be held from May 27-26 with the North America West Semifinal by West Coast Classic and Oceania Semifinal by Torian Pro.
Cover photo by Anders Malm