The Open is proving every rep counts.
The Team competition in Canada West is so tight that any upcoming workout could determine the eventual winner. The teams ranked first, second, third and fourth on 13.3, are ranked first through fifth overall. Currently, the Fraser Valley Centaurs lead with only four points, but Team Taranis sits in second with eight.
Sheepdog saw its ranking drop after a mix-up with its top female athlete, Alissa Flynn. Flynn, who owns CrossFit Maple Ridge, is required to compete for her own affiliate, but had registered for the Sheepdog team. Even without Flynn, Sheepdog is tied for 18th in the region. Flynn is holding her own in Individual competition, currently ranked ninth in Canada West.
Fighting for a Regional spot is CrossFit Armoury (83 points), and Champ City CrossFit (81 points). A big week could secure a spot for one of them, but a top-10 Team ranking in Canada West will require more than a lucky draw. Though many of the top teams in the region will lose members to Individual competition, all have the depth to go to the Games even without their top athlete. Nate Beveridge and Mark Cassibo, both of the Fraser Valley Centaurs, are ranked ninth and first overall, respectively.
Canada West's top athlete worldwide is currently Angie Pye (26th on the worldwide Leaderboard.) Top male in Canada West, Mark Cassibo, sits in 117th worldwide. Emily Beers slipped to third overall, behind Pye and Alicia Connors, when the flu struck right before her 13.3 attempt.
Gord McKinnon appears to have come second for the first time in years. Jeff Stokoe managed one more muscle-up than McKinnon on 13.3, and his first-place finish bumped him to fourth in the region in the Masters Men’s 50-54 Division. McKinnon's streak of Open wins started before 2012, and he still holds a dominant lead in the region, and an even larger margin worldwide. His worldwide score of six points is followed by Bob Lefavi, who beat McKinnon's snatches on 13.1, but is still far behind McKinnon overall with 32 points.
While no woman in Masters 55-59 Division managed a muscle-up in the region, Sharon Thielmann's skill at double-unders pushed her to a 240 score in the age category. Stephanie Needham also scored 240 and took the top spot with the tiebreak time.
As the Open passes the halfway point, leaders of the Masters Divisions in Canada West are beginning to solidify their positions. Conversely, the race for top Team and Individual competitors continues to get tighter, with only a point or two — one more muscle-up, a faster wall ball or three more linked double-unders — separating the top teams. Every rep really does count.
