Redemption in Paris: Mirjam von Rohr Claims French Throwdown Victory
Earlier this month at the French Throwdown in Paris, 2025 CrossFit Games rookie Mirjam von Rohr stepped onto the podium as the overall women’s winner and one of six individual athletes to qualify for the 2026 CrossFit Games.
Von Rohr’s win was an accomplishment in itself – the French Throwdown’s field was deep, with athletes like Aimee Cringle, Elisa Fuliano, Claudia Gluck, and Lucy McGonigle all vying for that top spot.
But on another level, von Rohr’s victory was a redemption for last year, an opportunity for closure after a traumatic experience.
Remind Me
Last year, after winning the CrossFit Open for the second consecutive year, von Rohr set her sights on the Games, determined to qualify for the first time, which she planned to do at the French Throwdown. Many were confident she’d finish in a qualifying position, and it was widely predicted she’d win the entire event.
- During the eighth and final workout of the weekend, which featured a descending-rep scheme of chest-to-bar and 70-kilo (154-pound) sandbag squats, von Rohr collapsed to the floor, seemingly unconscious and seizing.
Though she had to withdraw from the competition, she recovered and, only weeks later, qualified for the Games via the In-Affiliate Semifinals. She finished seventh in Albany, winning the 1-rep-max back squat event with a 370-pound lift.
It was a rookie season of highs and lows that ended in celebration.
This year, von Rohr’s performances so far have been very on-brand, and she is quickly becoming a force in an elite, experienced field of competitors.
Strong Body / Strong Mind
In an exclusive interview, we asked von Rohr to take us back to that day at the 2025 French Throwdown (and even earlier), to help us understand exactly what happened during the final workout.
- “Three years ago, I had an accident that caused a concussion, along with several other complications,” von Rohr told Morning Chalk Up. “Whether this is directly related is hard to say. At that time, I had extreme concentration problems. After about 10 minutes of working on a laptop, I had to lie down due to fatigue, exhaustion, and headaches. This went on for months and made training extremely difficult. It was also a major psychological burden.”
For almost a year, she woke up every morning, doing only what she could, but constantly taking steps backward.
Due to the concussion, her nervous system could become overloaded, and she would periodically shake – sometimes during training, sometimes not.
- “I felt like I had lost control over my body and what it was doing,” von Rohr said. “It took enormous mental strength to compete when everyone tells you: ‘Control what you can control,’ while I could not control whether I would start shaking or forget an exercise.”
She still has symptoms today, but she has finally regained control of her body and learned about her limitations and triggers. She trains and competes more methodically.
She opted not to compete in the World Fitness Project, the European Weightlifting Championships, or HYROX – limiting her competitions and her body’s expenditure through the first half of 2026.
- “I think many people are not aware of how strongly stress can affect performance and what kind of impact it can have. I would say I had my stress levels very well under control, which allowed me to recover well for each workout and be mentally able to perform at my maximum – without thinking about emails or HYROX training plans I still needed to write at the start line, but instead staying fully present and enjoying the competition,” von Rohr said.
One of the biggest lessons for her has been reducing stress, not taking on every commitment, and putting herself as priority number one – something that is still very difficult.
A Swiss Champion in Paris
Unlike last year, leading up to the French Throwdown, von Rohr hadn’t competed in any other sport since the Open. In April, she didn’t compete at all, which allowed her to find “her proper training rhythm and a clear structure.”
- “This is sometimes quite challenging because, even today, I haven’t fully decided to be exclusively a CrossFit athlete. CrossFit is my main sport, but I’m still not at the point where I want to fully commit to it and it alone,” von Rohr said.
She acknowledged that the pressure she put on herself was high while competing in Paris, though she used it to her advantage. She told us that she needs a certain level of pressure to perform at her best. “Without it,” she said, “I would not be able to reach that performance level.”
Leading up to the final workout, she calculated exactly what she needed to win, or at least to secure a Games spot.
- “I also knew exactly which placement I needed to guarantee a top 3 finish. That gave me a huge amount of confidence. Still, I was definitely very nervous because it was such a short, fast event — and in short events, so much can happen very quickly. Once you start making mistakes, you can lose an incredible amount of time immediately,” von Rohr said.
She recalled the final lunges and said that “they were incredible. I was still extremely focused, but I was also afraid I would no longer be able to hold the dumbbells overhead. The very last step was truly a fight.”
She had a hard time putting into words what it felt like to win.
- “On one hand, there is relief. On the other hand, pure joy. It is confirmation of all the work I have invested over the years. There were so many emotions at once. And experiencing all of this in front of such a huge crowd made it even more special. It honestly felt like I had qualified for the CrossFit Games for the very first time,” von Rohr said.
“I think the most emotional part for me was not even the victory or qualifying for the Games,” von Rohr continued. “It was much more about the version of myself I was able to show — the confidence and belief I had in my own abilities, as well as the control I had over my body and mind.”
2026 Games and Goals
In the midst of von Rohr’s Games prep, she will compete in other events, including the HYROX World Championships and the Swiss Weightlifting Championships, the latter being a major focus for her. She will attempt the heaviest clean and jerk by a woman in Swiss weightlifting history.
Regarding her goals for the Games, von Rohr is pragmatic. She is waiting for the workouts to be released and for the final rosters to take shape to “assess (her) chances.”
- “Of course, achieving a better placement than last year would be amazing. A top-five finish — or maybe even fighting for a podium spot — would definitely be a dream,” von Rohr says.
But before that happens, von Rohr is right where she wants to be. She reflects on last summer, which was one of the best times of her life.
- “Right now, what makes me happiest is simply knowing that I get to spend two months training in good weather and preparing for the CrossFit Games,” von Rohr said.
