French Throwdown to Feature CrossFit Games and LCQ Athletes this Weekend
Less than two weeks have passed since the final week of Semifinals concluded, and this weekend big names, including 2022 CrossFit Games athletes and Last Chance Qualifiers, are sprinkled across an impressive array of athletes who will be vying for a 12,000, 6,000 and 3,000 Euro podium payout.
Games Athletes in the Field:
The biggest draw in terms of Games athletes likely comes as no surprise. Frenchman, and Strength in depth winner, Willy Georges will line up for this one in his home country. The French Throwdown is amongst the most well-organized and well known competitions in the world; and most of the best french athletes will be there, so it’s no surprise for Georges to be as well.
He’ll be joined by his countryman and fellow Games qualifier out of Strength in Depth, Guillaume Briant. As well as a man Briant tied for points with in Semis, Giorgos Karavis. Notably these three athletes were three of the top four online qualifiers for this competition as well (Georges 1st, Briant 3rd, Karavis 4th).
The women have two Games qualifiers amongst them. One of them is Solveig Sigurdardottir, who like the men is coming off of a qualification at Strength in Depth. The other, Karin Freyova, qualified in week one by taking second at the Lowlands Throwdown.
It’s somewhat rare for athletes to participate in a high level competition like this between the Regional/Semifinal stage and the CrossFit Games, but perhaps even more surprising is the list of Last Chance Qualifier athletes who are choosing to do so.
LCQ Athletes in the Field:
There are four men, and two women, who are slated to compete in the LCQ next week. Four of them are coming out of the Lowlands Throwdown, the other two Strength in Depth:
Men:
- Luka Dukic (6th Lowlands)
- Adrian Mundwiler (7th Lowlands)
- Alex Kotoulas (7th Strength in Depth)
- Antoine Dumain (8th Strength in Depth)
Women:
- Elena Caratala Sanahuja (7th Lowlands)
- Oihana Moya (8th Lowlands)
For the athletes from Strength in Depth that means they are gearing up for three significant competitions in less than a month. It’s one thing to leverage fitness you’ve honed in on into an opportunity a couple of weeks later if you’re feeling good, but it’s also obviously quite taxing and can take a toll on the body in terms of recovery and getting back into meaningful training periods.
Who Else is in the Field?
In addition to those seven men and four women who are still alive in the 2022 CrossFit Games season, there are several other athletes competing that you may recognize from this year’s Semifinals as well:
- Alexandre Pinsolle, Dani Camacho, Elliot Ganin, Iurii Marincenco, Kristof Horvath, and Victor Hoffer are amongst the notable names for the men.
- Claudia Gluck, Ella Wunger, Emiko Naets, Erica Ekelund, Linda Keesman, Marie Robin, Metty Greneron, and Noortje Bleeker are some of the notable Semifinal women.
A point of interest: It’s also worth noting that Jelle Hoste and Manon Angonese, athletes who very well could have been relevant at Semifinals if not for failing to submit Quarterfinal videos on time will be competing here. For those who like to keep an eye on the horizon towards next year, take note of how these two do in their respective divisions.
The big picture: The French Throwdown is outside of the scope of the official CrossFit Games season, but the competition happens to fall right in the middle of a very critical part of that season. Two weeks after the last Semifinals, one week before the Last Chance Qualifier, and six weeks before the CrossFit Games; it’s rather intriguing that athletes who have qualified for either the Games or the LCQ are showing up for a competition like this given those timelines. The fact that they’ve chosen to do so says quite a lot about how well regarded the competition must be by the athletes.
Editor’s Note: Following the publication deadline, several athletes named above withdrew from the competition. For a complete, up-to-date roster, see the French Throwdown leaderboard.
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