CrossFit Games

This Week in CrossFit

June 4, 2021 by
Photo Credit: The Granite Games (instagram.com/thegranitegames)
Enjoying Morning Chalk Up? Access additional exclusive interviews, analyses, and stories with an Rx membership.

Did the week get ahead of you and you’re looking to catch up on the top trending stories in CrossFit and the fitness industry? You’ve come to the right place. Each week we will wrap up the major news and stories people are talking about inside the box.

The first group of athletes punched their tickets to the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games. With two Semifinals down and eight to go, we take a deep dive into what’s on tap for this weekend at the Granite Games and The Fittest in Cape Town and recap what went down on the competition floor last weekend. Grab your popcorn for July 27 because the official trailer of Resurgence is going to have you hooked!

Games Bound Athletes:

The Torian Pro

1. Royce Dunne (549) | Kara Saunders (660) | 64 Gold Army  (630)
2. Jay Crouch (548) | Laura Clifton (564) | Urban CrossFit (630)
3. Bayden Brown(538) | Ellie Turner (532) | Awaside (565)

The Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge

1. Jayson Hopper (560) | Tia-Clair Toomey (588) | CrossFit Mayhem Freedom (663)
2. Scott Panchik (536) | Haley Adams (528) | Lone Star CrossFit (592)
3. Justin Medeiros (528) | Brooke Wells (512) | CrossFit Westchase (584)
4. Travis Mayer (516) | Amanda Barnhart (468) | Training Think Tank (554)
5. Zach Watts (425) | Jessica Griffith (468) | On Track (554)

The three teens we’re keeping an eye on at the Granite Games this weekend:

  • The top five men and women at the Granite Games will punch a ticket to the CrossFit Games, leaving room to see three big name teens in the running for a spot. Both just 17, Emma Cary and Mallory O’Brien alongside 18-year-old Paige Powers, have a serious shot of advancing to Madison. The biggest question though is will these rookies perform as well as they did virtually, now that they’re in-person on a big stage?

Who’s in the running for the coveted one qualifying spot from Fittest in Cape Town:

  • While this Semifinal may not have the big names and compelling storylines that some of the others have, with only one ticket to the Games on the line, there should be some exciting competition. First place in each division will be duked out between Games veterans and new faces.

What we learned from the first round of Semifinal competitions:

  • Australian natives Tia-Clair Toomey and Kara Saunders both dominated their respective Semifinals, giving us a good match-up to look forward to at the Games. We can also expect to see many familiar faces when it comes to the individual athletes, as veteran Games athletes made up most of the qualifying spots. On the flip side, expect to see some new Teams headed to Madison.

Sam Kwant opens up about his battle with a chronic illness and how it affected his MACC performance:

  • Finishing second at the Games last year, fans expected a similar performance from Sam Kwant at the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge. But after finishing 14th overall and not qualifying for the Games, fans started to speculate what might have gone wrong. Kwant opened up on social media saying, he has been suffering from chronic illness for years, has been experiencing breathing problems lately, and even wound up in the hospital when he arrived in Tennessee.

Changes to the Games schedule allows for more eyes to be on Masters and Teens:

  • Masters and Teen athletes are saying goodbye to the Age Group Pavilion as CrossFit decides to host events in just two locations, North Park and the Coliseum. In an effort to make the sport more inclusive and rewarding for fans, the new schedule could allow for more spectators to watch those divisions.

The format of this years CrossFit season is likely to stay:

  • Dave Castro called the shorter three-week Open, Quarterfinals and Semifinals a huge success during an interview with commentators Sean Woodland and Tommy Marquez. In reference to the Open, Castro said, “definitely something that’s here to stay.”

Active Life Rx Founder, Dr. Sean Pastuch, published a book to help coaches become professionals:

Things you don’t want to miss:

  • Crossfit announces full prize purses for the CrossFit Games totally $2.5 million.
  • How to Watch the Fittest in Cape Town
  • How to Watch the Granite Games
  • For those heading to the Granite Games in Eagan, MN this weekend, here are a few gyms to drop in at to get a sweat.
  • WATCH: The trailer for the Buttery Bros new documentary, “Resurgence,” available July 20.
  • Age Group invitations for the CrossFit Games have been released and the AGOQ leaderboard has been finalized.
  • The West Coast Classic, one of the four North American Semifinals, which will be held in Las Vegas, June 18-20, announced some of their workouts.
  • Tickets for the West Coast Classic are available now.
  • Morning Chalk Up has a $1000 Rogue Home Gym to give away. Enter now for your chance to win.
  • Equipment Sale: Get a Rogue Fitness Echo Bike or a Torque Tank at the Granite Games.
  • Huge Congratulations to Morning Chalk Up Editor-in-Chief, Justin LoFranco who summited Mt. Denali this week. It’s the tallest mountain in North American at 20,310 feet above sea level.

Get the Newsletter

For a daily digest of all things CrossFit. Community, Competitions, Athletes, Tips, Recipes, Deals and more.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.