Competition

Three Takeaways From Day 2 of the 2021 Rogue Invitational

October 30, 2021 by
Photo credit: Athlete's Eye Photography
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Day 2 of the 2021 Rogue Invitational consisted of three events under a sunny Texas sky. The action was hot inside of Dell Diamond as 40 of the top athletes in the sport jockeyed for position and to increase their payday in front of a near-capacity crowd. Here are three takeaways from the first day of competition.

  1. The “Fittest” are being challenged: A look at the leaderboard at the end of Day 2 shows that unlike past competitions it appears that there is no clear-cut winner in either division. One has to go back to Wodapalooza last February to find the last time Tia-Clair Toomey was not atop the leaderboard after the second day of competition, a situation she finds herself in at Rogue Invitational. The five-time champ and two-time defending Rogue champion trails Annie Thorisdottir by 15 points. Thorisdottir picked up her second event win of the weekend, repeating her 2019 Rogue Invitational feat by winning “The Mule” once again in dominating fashion. Toomey finished sixth, her second finish outside the top-5 this weekend. 

    On the men’s side reigning Games champion Justin Medeiros holds a 35-point lead over rival Pat Vellner. Vellner, like Thorisdottir, repeated his 2019 event win in “The Mule”, to pick up his second win of the weekend and gained some momentum heading into the final day. However Medeiros looks strong with none of his finishes outside the top-3. 

    With just two events left on Sunday, the margin for error for both the Toomey and Medeiros are slim as Thorisdottir looks to be getting stronger and Vellner always a danger to win multiple events.
Photo Credit: Athlete’s Eye
  1. Chandler Smith feeling at home with familiar Rogue Invitational programming: Smith is known to be his own toughest critic and by his standards the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games was not one that lived up to his high expectations. The season ended with him finishing 21st, and failing to make the cut for the final competition for the third year in a row. No one questions his talent and potential, however the results have not been there. What does the upcoming season hold for him? After two days of competition in Texas, Smith has showcased that what makes him special talent. He currently sits in 6th place thanks to four top-ten finishes including back-to-back top-5 finishes in the final two events of Day 2. Smith looks at home at the Rogue Invitational, a competition that his star shined in both 2019 and 2020.
Photo Credit: Athlete’s Eye
  1. Gabby making a run: At just 23-years old Gabriela Migala is considered old when you take in account that there are two 17-years competing in the women’s division. The veteran of four Games appearances including one as a teenage athlete has gotten better every year but has been a relative unknown in the sport even after her sixth place finish at this year’s Games. 

In Texas she is making sure the fans know who she is and becoming a favorite ever since her appearance in event 1 wearing a University of Texas shirt. Since then she collected all top-ten finishes including three in the top-5 and sits in third with a 20-point lead over two-time second “Fittest Woman on Earth” Laura Horvath. The native of Poland can continue to raise awareness of her athletic ability and a podium contender for the 2022 Games with a strong finish on Sunday. 

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