The 2021 CrossFit Open starts this Thursday! This first stage of the CrossFit Games season serves as a steppingstone for athletes hoping to compete on the big stage at the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games. 

The Open is a worldwide, all-inclusive online competition that unites hundreds of thousands of athletes around the globe each year. The 2021 Open will take place over three weeks and will be CrossFit’s most inclusive competition yet, offering something for everyone, from top-tier athletes to the CrossFit newbie. This year, choose from Rx’d, scaled, foundations, and equipment-free workout variations. This year’s Open offers individual, masters, teenage, and brand new adaptive divisions. Participants will be able to compete from home, at a local CrossFit affiliate, in a park or garage — anywhere they can safely complete the movements. 

In 2019 and 2020, the Open workouts were announced live from a CrossFit affiliate or another special location. In 2021, CrossFit is bringing the live announcements back to its home office in Scotts Valley, California.  

Each year, the athlete matchups are highly anticipated as fans wait to see who will take on the Open workouts just moments after CrossFit General Manager of Sport Dave Castro drops the announcement. 

We’ve seen epic throwdowns over the years, like the Open Workout 15.1 battle between four-time Fittest Man on Earth Rich Froning and five-time Fittest Man on Earth Mat Fraser; and the Icelandic showdown when Katrin Davidsdottir, Sara Sigmundsdottir, and Annie Thorisdottir took on Open Workout 18.5 from CrossFit Reykjavik in Reykjavik, Iceland. 

This year’s Live Open Announcement matchups are:

Open Workout 21.1: Engine vs. Skill 

Get ready for an Open Workout 17.2 announcement rematch for 21.1! CrossFit Games veteran and former collegiate swimmer Kristi Eramo O’Connell is well-known for her endurance background in triathlon. She’ll compete head-to-head for the second time in an Open announcement against gymnastics ninja and 2020 Games third-place finisher Kari Pearce in the live announcement of Open Workout 21.1. Pearce bested Eramo O'Connell in 2017. Who will take 21.1? 

Open Workout 21.2: Youth vs. Experience

Three-time CrossFit Games athlete and 2020 Games second-place finisher Samuel Kwant will take on 2020 Games third-place finisher and Rookie of the Year Justin Medeiros at the live announcement of Open Workout 21.2.

Open Workout 21.3: Panchik vs. Panchik

Eight-time CrossFit Games veteran, new dad, and fan favorite Scott Panchik will take on Open Workout 21.3 against his little brother, Saxon, a three-time Games athlete whose best finish was ninth in 2019. 

Catch all the action live on Games.CrossFit.com, the CrossFit Games YouTube channel, or CrossFit Games Facebook page starting at 12 p.m. PT on Thursday, March 25.