2019 Open Performance by Country

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is brought to you by Beyond Macros.



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“If you’re going to quit anything, quit being lazy, quit making excuses and quit waiting for the right time.” — Joe Duncan

Fighting Homelessness with Strength in Our Streets

The story.

On June 22, Wheeler Mission and Outreach, Inc., will host the sixth annual Strength In Our Streets competition to benefit the Indianapolis, IN community’s most disadvantaged citizens.

How will they do it?

This summer, 432 athletes from 36 different Indiana CrossFit affiliates will go head-to-head on the competition floor but also in fundraising efforts.

If each team reaches their fundraising goal, this will be a record-breaking year, raising more than $130,000 in total for the two organizations; Wheeler Mission and Outreach, Inc., two local organizations that care for the Indianapolis homeless population.

Why this program?

According to Strength in Our Streets website, “On any given night, there are over 1,600 homeless men, women, youth, and children right here in central Indiana. These are our neighbors. They are classmates of our kids. They are people who need our help. Outreach and Wheeler Mission serve hundreds of homeless people every night of the year.”

Proceeds from Strength in Our Streets will help Wheeler serve more than 300,000 meals and provide nearly 125,000 nights lodging in 2019.

OPEN DEBRIEF.

2019 Open Performance By Country

One of the changes that came from the restructuring of the 2019 CrossFit season is the race for National Champs. Now that each country claiming an affiliate has an athlete recognized in the Open, how does each country compare?

So how did each country’s “typical” Rx athletes stand in relation to other countries?

• Some methodology first: We’ve defined a typical RX athlete as someone who ranks between the 25th and 75th percentile. To keep this comparison apples to apples, this review only includes countries with at least 300 male athletes or 200 female athletes between the ages of 18 and 34 and who submitted Rx scores for all five workouts.
• For both men and women, Russia and New Zealand stand out as having the fittest general populations. In Russia, a male athlete in the country’s 75th percentile ranks in the 87th percentile worldwide and female athlete in the country’s 75th percentile is in the 86th percentile worldwide.
• New Zealand has a higher Rx participation than the United States per capita.

One early concern about the new format was that the field of U.S. based athletes, who had qualified for previous CrossFit Games, would be decimated. The Open’s top 20 format has largely reduced that concern. Here’s a look at the countries sending the most athletes to the Games through the Open.

Continue reading…

Things To…

WATCH: Improve Your Leadership

Sebastian Steffen, the head of investor relations at Adidas, shares his tips for upping your leadership game through confidence by becoming a situationally aware leader that takes ownership for their own growth and faces tough conversations without delay.

GET ON THAT.

HEAR: Wilson Pak of Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge

Danny and Steve, hosts of the Let’s WOD About It podcast, sit down with the director of the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge, Wilson Pak. In this episode, they discuss the process of becoming a sanctioned event and what next weekend’s event is going to be like.

IT’S COMING UP.

GET: Functional and Personalized Healthcare

There’s a reason why more than 20 Games athletes use Dr. Dani Urcuyo, husband to Julie Foucher, as their primary physician through SteadyMD. You can get the same personalized healthcare as Mat Fraser, the Dancers, Josh Bridges and Cole Sager.

PERSONALIZED TO YOU.

EAT: Turmeric Rice

This weekend, as you meal prep for the coming week (as we know you’re all going to do) consider this twist on rice. This simple recipe has it all: antioxidant and anti-inflammatory turmeric, sweetness from coconut milk, and some bite from the lemongrass and lime leaves. 

THAT NEW NEW.

Today’s edition of the Morning Chalk Up is brought to you by

Chalk Up Community

• PREGNANCY AND POSTPARTUM COACHING — The Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism coaching certification course is now live. An online certification for coaches, trainers, practitioners and sports industry experts who want to gain quality guidance on training through pregnancy and pursuing their athleticism into motherhood.
• WAGS & WEIGHTS — Barbells & Bullies has teamed up with Wags & Weights for a weightlifting competition called Wags & Weightlifting in Atlanta, GA on June 15. All funds raised go to the Underdog Fund, to sponsor dogs that have been rescued, fund their transportation and buy crates and medical supplies for under-served shelters and
  fosters.
• OUTWOD AT CROSSFIT AVIATOR — CrossFit Aviator is hosting Sweat For a Cause with CrossFit Aviator in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday, April 13. Fundraising for this event is not mandatory, but all funds raised during the event go to Outwod, whose mission is to remove the barriers that block LGBTQ+ individuals access and participation.
• NEW AFFILIATE — CrossFit Veni Vidi Vici in Henderson, NV is holding a grand opening celebration on Saturday, April 6 with vendors, food and prizes. 

CHALK UP IN 2 MINUTES (a highlight reel around social media of CrossFit pros and average joes)

Congratulations to Alan Stengel on his weightloss transformation • Vanessa Long strings together bar muscle-ups • Ian Droze gets a 308 pound push press in jeans and work boots • Sarabeth McLandon Jumper does a snatch balance complex at  216 pounds • Cody Anderson snatches 300 pounds.

…and we don’t know what’s cooler here, the balancing act or the hoops.

2019 CrossFit Games Tickets Pre-sale is Live — The affiliate ticket pre-sale is live from now until 11:59 PM PT on Monday, April 8. If your affiliate had 12 or more participants in the 2019 Open, you received early access to Games tickets. You can find your ticket promo code on the Affiliate Manager’s dashboard when logged in at Games.CrossFit.com.

— If you want to volunteer at the CrossFit Games, stay tuned for more information from CrossFit HQ in May. 

Haley Adams to Compete at Granite Games — Yesterday Haley Adams announced that she will be competing at the Granite Games in June. 

Mid-Atlantic Individual WODs Announced — Individual WOD number 5 for the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge, which takes place next weekend, was announced: Hotstepper. They also announced Team WOD number 3: Tremors.

How CrossFit Star Sara Sigmundsdottir Dealt with a Broken Bone on the Biggest Stage — CNN’s Will Edmonds caught up with Sara Sigmundsdottir on competing at the 2018 CrossFit Games with a broken rib. Full video.

— “I was trying to hide it the whole time from my coach because I knew that if he knew, that he would make me withdraw. If I have a broken rib, it’s not going to hurt any more. It’s just a broken bone. I can live with it,” Sara said.

— “Six months later and Sigmundsdottir is fully healed and seemingly fitter than ever. She finished in the top three in two of the biggest CrossFit events in the world, before finishing number one in the CrossFit Open, the global qualifying event for the Games.

— “Winning the Open is of course something I am very happy about,” Sigmundsdottir tells CNN. “But I don’t take anything for granted. I know that I will have to work extremely hard to be able to perform to the standards I set for myself for the rest of the season and I am absolutely up for the challenge.”

“BREAKING: Chyna Cho Joins CrossFit Mayhem Freedom in China,” by Tommy Marquez, Morning Chalk Up 

The reigning CrossFit Games team champions CrossFit Mayhem Freedom just got a huge boost to their roster.

Six-time individual CrossFit Games athlete Chyna Cho will be joining Rich Froning and the Mayhem crew to compete at the Asia CrossFit Championships in Shanghai, April 27-29.

Cho recently spent a week training with the team in Cookeville, TN in early March, and from there the decision was made to join Mayhem for the competition in China.

“After Wodapalooza we realized that the changes to the team format meant we had to adapt if we wanted to stay competitive,” Froning said.

Rumors about her potentially joining the team started swirling after CrossFit Mayhem posted a 19.2 recap video with a graphic that included “Mayhem Freedom,” listed under her name. Subsequent videos of her training with the team during her time there also included the same graphic.

Cho, a former collegiate swimmer and 6th Fittest Woman at the 2015 Games, is the third individual Games athlete on the Mayhem Freedom roster along with Froning and 2016 qualifier Tasia Percevecz.

Cho has prior experience competing on a four person team with Froning when she represented the United States at the 2015 invitational. Along with Dan Bailey and Margaux Alvarez, they led the USA Team to victory over Europe, Canada, and the Pacific.

“I knew Chyna from when we competed on Team USA for the invitational and knew how good she was,” revealed Froning, “but also that she would fit in well with our crew.”

4/5 – 4/7: Iron Sharpens Iron Camp (Nashville, TN)

4/1 – 4/8: Northern California Classic Online Qualifiers (Online)

4/1 – 4/11: The Liege Throwdown Online Qualifiers (Herstal, Belgium)

4/3 – 4/8: 2019 Rogue Invitational Qualifier (Online)

4/6: Feed, Clothe, Love and Lift (Amarillo, TX) 

4/6: St. Peters CrossFit Fitness Awards (Saint Peters, MO)

4/6: Powerstroke Partner Throwdown 2019 (Fallon, NV)

4/6: Metcon Meltdown (Flemington, NJ)

4/6: Two Peas in a POD Competition (Burlington, MA)

4/6: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit Diversion (Williamstown, NJ)

4/6: Rise of the Machines IV (Austin, TX)

4/6: Bay Area Beatdown 2 (Webster, TX)

4/6: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit Cornerstone (Cincinnati, OH)

4/6: WOD 4 Trent (Phoenix, AZ)

4/6: Smiles Hero WOD (Grand Chute, WI)

4/6: Tough Like Cliff Deadlift Competition (Hiawatha, IA) 

4/10 – 4/24: Granite Games Online Qualifier (Online)

4/11 – 4/14: CrossFit Lowlands Throwdown Online Qualifier (Online)

4/12: Throwdown in Joe Town (Saint Joseph, MO)

4/12 – 4/13: Capstone Caveman Clash and Cook Off (Lubbock, TX)

4/12 – 4/14: Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge (Washington, D.C.)

4/12 – 4/14: Athens Throwdown (Athens, Greece)

4/13: The Craic Throwdown (Norwood, MA)

4/13: Capacidad De Dos Amigos (San Antonio, TX)

4/13: Warrior Affiliate League Deuces Wild (Chino, CA)

4/13: Battle of the Ages (Pineville, NC)

4/13: 5th Annual Battle for the Mountain (Dawsonville, GA)

4/13: The Requisite Masters Classic (Philadelphia, PA)

4/13: HandSTANDUP for Haiti (Smyrna, TN)

4/13: WOD Wars Fit Fest (Dunedin, FL)

4/13: CFL Loganville Lockdown (Loganville, GA)

4/13: CrossFit Katy Team Classic (Katy, TX)

4/13: Rescue Road: Obstacle Course Event (Alpharetta, GA)

4/13: Quad Wars at CrossFit Adversary (Williamstown, NJ)

4/13: First Annual McClaren Cup (Rio Rancho, NM)

4/13: Garage Girls 2019 Tour at CrossFit Grit (St. Simons Island, GA)

4/13 – 4/14: Freakin Throwdown 6 (Miramar, FL)

4/13: Burden Games at CrossFit Morgantown (Morgantown, WV)

4/13: Bryan Hall Memorial WOD (Frisco, TX)

4/14: To Hill and Back 2019 (Albemarle, NC)

4/15 – 4/27: Top Of The Box Online Qualifier (Clarksville, TN)

4/19 – 5/1: CrossFit French Throwdown Individual Online Qualifier (Online)

4/20: The Wodfather VII 2019 (Keller, TX)

4/20: Rookie Rumble at Bucktown CrossFit (Chicago, IL)

4/20: Barnyard Throwdown (Ohatchee, AL)

4/26: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit Nashua (Nashua, NH)

4/26 – 4/27: Gameday Competition (Mankato, MN) 

4/26 – 4/28: CrossFit Italian Showdown (Milan, Italy)

4/26 – 4/28: The Sun Coast Fitness Festival (Kwa-Zulu Natal, SA)

4/27: 4th Annual Spring Fever Partner Masters Comp (Souderton PA)

4/27: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit KOA (Cranford, NJ)

4/27: The Gnardog Challenge (Reedley, CA)

4/27: Festivus Games (Worldwide)

4/27: Raising the Bar for Charlotte (Medina, OH)

4/27 – 4/29: Asia CrossFit Championship (Shanghai, China)

4/27: Autism Rocks and Rows (San Clemente, CA)

4/27: Garage Games Xs and Ys (Hiram, GA)

4/27: The Explode Individual Classic (West Chester, PA)

4/27: Fast Times at West Tech High (Las Vegas, NV)

4/27: Tyler’s Voice CrossFit Competition (Jefferson City, TN)

4/27: SWFL Sharks Semi-Pro Grid Combine (Cape Coral, FL)

4/27: Explode’s Independent Classic (West Chester, FL)

4/27: Festivus Games at Crossfit Sav-up (Petaluma, CA)

4/27: 4th annual Apple Town Throwdown (Cornelia,GA)

4/27: Kettlebells for Cojones (Montgomery, TX)

4/27: Spring Fever Partner Master Competition (Souderton, PA)

4/27: Best of the Midwest Team Series Part 1 (Westfield, IN)

4/27: Officer Christopher Goddell Memorial WOD (Walkdwick, NJ)

4/27: Pose Method Run RX Course (Lake Havasu City, AZ)

4/27: Battle of the Boxes (Newport,KY)

4/27: 2019 Pensacola Beach Brawl (Pensacola, FL) 

4/27: Festivus Games at Camel City Crossfit (Winston-Salem, NC)

4/27: Festivus Games at CrossFit LaCrosse (LaCrosse, WI)

4/27: 2019 Growler Games (Lexington, NC)

5/3 – 5/5 The Fittest Experience (Austin, TX)

5/4: 2nd Annual Heavy Day Morgan (Oak Ridge, TN)

5/4: Battle at the Lab 2019 Cinco De Mayo (Clarksville, TN)

5/4: Border Open Part V (El Paso, TX)

5/4: Desert Warrior (Scottsdale, AZ)

5/4: The Jurassic Classic (Kennewick, WA)

5/4: Lifto De Mayo 2019 (Eagan, MN)

5/4: Rookie Rumble Pittsburgh at Arsenal Strength (Pittsburgh, PA)

5/4: Girls Gone RX Delaware (Middletown, DE)

5/4: Black and Brewed 2019 (Huntsville, AL)

5/4: Row for Wishes (Telluride, CO)

5/11: 2019 Moco Throwdown (Bethesda, MD)

5/11: Girls on Girls X (Bridgeport, PA)

5/11: Battle of the Gulf Coast (Port Neches, TX)

5/18 – 5/19: Big Impact Games (Kaukauna, WI)

5/18: 2019 Tough Temple CrossFit Super Total (Bethseda, MD)

5/19: Heroes and Heroines Team Throwdown (Pawtucket, RI)