BREAKING: Mal O’Brien Out for the 2023 Season
Mallory O’Brien announced in an Instagram post on Tuesday that she will not compete at the North America East Semifinals this weekend.
This news comes just two days before the event kicks off, leaving a massive gap in the competition field both in Orlando and presumably at the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games this year.
The details: While O’Brien was vague in her reasoning, she wrote in her Instagram caption that she needs time to “prioritize (her) wellbeing” in the face of personal challenges. She also wrote that she is grateful for the support she’s felt from the community, her family, and coaches and training partners at HWPO, including coach Mat Fraser.
- “Remember, life isn’t just about winning trophies or achieving goals—it’s about finding balance, taking care of ourselves, and cherishing the moments that truly matter,” O’Brien said. “I’ll be taking this time to focus on what’s important to me.”
- O’Brien dropping out of her Semifinals competition bars her from competing any further in the season–she will not be eligible for the CrossFit Games.
- At just 16-years-old, O’Brien took a season off in 2020 to focus on her health after being diagnosed with Lyme disease. Whether or not this break is related or not, O’Brien is no stranger to comebacks.
One big thing: With Tia Clair-Toomey out this season after the birth of her daughter just last week, the question of who will stand on top of the podium at the CrossFit Games has been at large. O’Brien was the heir apparent after her second-place finish last year in Madison and rapid rise to stardom at 19-years-old. But now that she is also out of the running, who will end up on top at the Games this summer is up in the air.
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