CrossFit Games

Will History Repeat Itself for the 2023 CrossFit Games Quarterfinals?

March 12, 2023 by
Photo Credit: @elleryphotos
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The NOBULL CrossFit Games Quarterfinals tests will be released on March 16 at noon PT and today we’re looking at certain trends from the past two years of programming. 

The intel: Looking at the workouts from the last two seasons, there have been consistent trends in the way Quarterfinals workouts have been assembled. 

  • Workout 1: Handstand push-ups were programmed in the first workout for both 2021 and 2022. Since we just saw strict handstand push-ups in 23.3, we’ll most likely see this trend broken. 
  • Workouts 2 and 3: There’s no specific trends for these, as it seems to have played the role of filling the gaps of what needs to be programmed to create a well-rounded test. 
  • Workout 3: The third workout has been a longer chipper, with a straight format in 2021 and pyramid style chipper in 2022. 
  • Workout 4: The fourth workout has been the strength test, with a front squat in 2021 and lifting total in 2022. 
  • Workout 5: The final workout in both 2021 and 2022 were sprint chippers, both featuring a seven minute time cap. 

It’s also worth noting that GHD sit-ups and single leg squats were programmed together in an all-gymnastics triplet in both 2021 and 2022. 

Equipment we haven’t seen: Based on the equipment list CrossFit HQ released for the Open and Quarterfinals, here are the movements that didn’t make it into the Open programming. 

  • Dumbbells
  • Kettlebells
  • Climbing ropes
  • GHD 
  • Plyo boxes

Kettlebells haven’t been featured in either year of Quarterfinals programming, so they could bring a new twist in 2023. The greatest obstacle with kettlebells has always been judging and standards, but movements like the kettlebell snatch offer enough clarity that I wouldn’t be surprised to see them in the mix. 

Looking forward: The floor plans for the 2023 Quarterfinals will be released on Monday, March 13. This will give us a better idea of what movements and pairings may be released on the 16th. Be on the lookout for a post featuring our predictions! 

The bottom line: Consistency of certain elements may be necessary to ensure that athletes who qualify for the semifinals meet different standards of strength, skills and capacity. Adrian Bozman taking over the programming for the full season could mean we’ll see new twists on these trends, while still maintaining the fabric that Dave Castro established for this stage of qualification.

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