Camille Leblanc-Bazinet Explains Withdrawal from Asia CF Championship

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“Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help.” — May Sarton

BETWEEN THE LINES.

The Team Loophole and the Rise of Super, Super Teams

Anytime a sport changes the rules, there are going to be some unintended consequences for better or worse; it’s just a part of making large scale changes to the qualification process. It’s unavoidable. One of these unintended consequences is the team roster loophole. Here it is from Section 4.05 of the Rulebook:

• “A team’s six (6) members must comprise the four (4) athletes who competed at the Sanctionals competition on the same team, plus two (2) alternates (one man and one woman).”
• “…the team may select only from among those six members to field a team at the Games.”
• “If an athlete is listed on a Games team roster, that athlete is not eligible to compete on another team.”

Now for the important part.

• “If a member of a team also earns a qualifying spot as an individual athlete and elects to compete as an individual, the team must use its alternate to fill the remaining team spot.”

Nowhere does the Rulebook state that an athletes who’s already qualified and accepted as an individual cannot participate on a team. Here’s the loophole that athletes and teams are taking advantage of. 

• Jamie Greene helped ROMWOD/WIT take home the WZA title. Regardless of whether it was intentional or not, Greene was a critical addition to ROMWOD/WIT’s Wodapalooza team, which was widely considered to decline their invitation. But after the Open, they accepted and added (their alternate) Camille Leblanc-Bazinet and now they’re good to go to Madison. 
• Rob Forte added current qualifiers James Newbury and Maddie Sturt to his Down Under CrossFit Championship team. Sturt and Newbury are both expected to go individual and it’s widely considered that their presence is there to secure a victory in Australia only to be replaced by one male and female alternate. 
• Yesterday, Mayhem announced a Mayhem Europe team comprised of Laura Horvath, Gabriela Migala, Kristof Horvath and Daniel Lundgren. They will be competing at Lowlands Throwdown at the end of May. Laura Horvath is the unofficial national champion of Hungry and expected to compete as an individual, but Migala is the fittest in Poland. This team can’t lose two athletes and remain eligible so it seems more likely that Horvath is the ringer. 

The bottom line: Nothing these teams or athletes are doing is against the rules. On the contrary, it’s completely legal. But the ability to have the second fittest woman on Earth join a team with the intention of earning that team a qualifying spot only to back out and compete as an individual is probably not how the Gamesmakers intended it to play out. 

Things To…

WATCH: What’s Next for Noah Ohlsen 

The Open has come and gone, and five weeks of giving it his all didn’t get him an invitation to the CrossFit Games. Ohlsen says he is happy with his effort and what he learned and he’s aiming to earn his spot elsewhere.

HIS PLAN NOW.

WATCH: Talking Elite Fitness Ep. 14

Sean Woodland and Tommy Marquez cover all things Wrestlemania this week on Talking Elite Fitness. They share their CrossFit WrestleMania concept, match breakdowns and description and they discuss the news about Team ROMWOD/WIT and Camille Leblanc-Bazinet.

TOMMY’S FAVORITE WEEK.

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EAT: Sausage Breakfast Bowls 

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NEVER SKIP A MEAL.

Today’s edition of the Morning Chalk Up is fueled by

Chalk Up Community

• MAD HATTER GAMES — Trinity CrossFit is holding a fundraiser event on Saturday, May 18 at the Veteran Memorial Armed Forces Reserve Center in Danbury, CT. Profits from the competition will be donated to Maddie O’Farrell, daughter of US Army Reserve Soldier/Bethel Police Detective Frank O’Farrell, who was recently diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma.
• MILLION METERS ROW — CrossFit Grow in Baxter, MN is holding an event to raise awareness around mental illness, depression and suicide. On Sunday June 9, athletes will row in 25-minute segments and will attempt to raise $200 either by flat pledges/donations or pledge per meters. 
• TYLER’S VOICE COMPETITION — The Tyler’s Voice CrossFit Competition exists to increase awareness of SATB2 and to support the SATB2 gene foundation. Organized and hosted by affiliate Mossy Creek CrossFit in Jefferson Coty, TN the
  competition will take place on Saturday, April 27.

CHALK UP IN 2 MINUTES (a highlight reel around social media of CrossFit pros and average joes)

Happy birthday Dan Bailey • Thuri Helgadottir got 87kg/192 pound snatch PR for 4th at European Nationals • Zevia and Amy’s Kitchen is hosting a giveaway • Bethany Shadburne jerks 230 pounds for two • Cody Mooney does a 265 pound snatch + 2 overhead squat • James Townsend back squats 519
pounds for a 5RM • Cayla Harper has partnered with Xendurance. 

…and we feel you Sam Briggs, we feel you. 

Camille Leblanc-Bazinet on Why She Withdrew from Asia CrossFit Championship — Yesterday on her Instagram, Camille Leblanc-Bazinet explained why she will not be competing in China at the end of the month.

— “I am sorry to announce that Dave and I will not be able to attend the Asia CrossFit Championship in China this month. Without getting into too many details, we were unable to cover the cost for us to travel out there as well as deal with a tight scheduling conflict with USA Nationals. I am very sorry that my presence at this competition was announced before we could finalize the details.”

Remembering Becky Conzelman — There will be a celebration of life service this Saturday in Highlands Ranch, CO. Friends and family are asking you to share favorite memories here which will be compiled for the family. 

Fitness Scholarships with the OUT Foundation — The OUT Foundation is partnering with local CrossFit gyms to provide fitness scholarships to LGBTQ+ athletes. Enrollment is open now, and interested applicants are encouraged to apply before the April 30 deadline. Recipients will be chosen and notified in May, and the OUT Foundation will work with them to find a local, inclusive CrossFit affiliate where they can begin their fitness journey in June or July.

Down Under CrossFit Championship — Individual Event 4 of the Down Under CroosFit Championship has been released. 

“Give Aloha with CrossFIt Anahola,” by Jessica Danger, Morning Chalk Up

Bronson Lovell noticed that the church he had grown up in had been taken over by drug addicts and shanty tents. Last fall, he cleared it out and decided to convert it into a CrossFit gym to serve the community.

Once the space was in good enough shape to start running, Bronson reached out on social media asking for equipment. Aaron Hoff, Founder of Keala Foundation, saw the message and reached out to Bronson to see if he was serious.

He was, and the next thing Bronson knew, CrossFit had donated all the equipment they needed to open CrossFit Anahola. The box thrived with about 40 people joining their classes, five days a week, with kids classes two days a week. But in October, the Department of Hawaiian Homelands forced them to shut down because they lacked the proper permit.

Bronson and CrossFit Anahola packed up the equipment and drove it to Bronson’s home and started holding classes there, right in Bronson’s carport.

Now, the Keala Foundation is helping to raise funds for CrossFit Anahola to rebuild with the #GiveAloha campaign. Their goal is to raise funds for a forever home, get more equipment, provide vans for transportation and food for the kids, and funds for a larger coaching staff.

“For too long we have been losing a battle against alcoholism and drug addiction, watching families be destroyed and dragged through a hell that is unfathomable,” said Aaron Hoff, Founder of  Keala. “Today we are taking a stand, uniting people in the community one by one, to truly make a difference. CrossFit Anahola is bringing light to a community that has constantly been forgotten.”

4/1 – 4/11: The Liege Throwdown Online Qualifiers (Herstal, Belgium)

4/10 – 4/24: Granite Games Online Qualifier (Online)

4/11 – 4/14: CrossFit Lowlands Throwdown Online Qualifier (Online)

4/12: Throwdown in Joe Town (Saint Joseph, MO)

4/12 – 4/13: Capstone Caveman Clash and Cook Off (Lubbock, TX)

4/12 – 4/14: Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge (Washington, D.C.)

4/12 – 4/14: Athens Throwdown (Athens, Greece)

4/13: The Craic Throwdown (Norwood, MA)

4/13: Capacidad De Dos Amigos (San Antonio, TX)

4/13: Warrior Affiliate League Deuces Wild (Chino, CA)

4/13: Battle of the Ages (Pineville, NC)

4/13: 5th Annual Battle for the Mountain (Dawsonville, GA)

4/13: The Requisite Masters Classic (Philadelphia, PA)

4/13: HandSTANDUP for Haiti (Smyrna, TN)

4/13: WOD Wars Fit Fest (Dunedin, FL)

4/13: CFL Loganville Lockdown (Loganville, GA)

4/13: CrossFit Katy Team Classic (Katy, TX)

4/13: Rescue Road: Obstacle Course Event (Alpharetta, GA)

4/13: Quad Wars at CrossFit Adversary (Williamstown, NJ)

4/13: First Annual McClaren Cup (Rio Rancho, NM)

4/13: Garage Girls 2019 Tour at CrossFit Grit (St. Simons Island, GA)

4/13 – 4/14: Freakin Throwdown 6 (Miramar, FL)

4/13: Burden Games at CrossFit Morgantown (Morgantown, WV)

4/13: Bryan Hall Memorial WOD (Frisco, TX)

4/14: To Hill and Back 2019 (Albemarle, NC)

4/15 – 4/27: Top Of The Box Online Qualifier (Clarksville, TN)

4/19 – 5/1: CrossFit French Throwdown Individual Online Qualifier (Online)

4/20: The Wodfather VII 2019 (Keller, TX)

4/20: Rookie Rumble at Bucktown CrossFit (Chicago, IL)

4/20: Barnyard Throwdown (Ohatchee, AL)

4/26: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit Nashua (Nashua, NH)

4/26 – 4/27: Gameday Competition (Mankato, MN) 

4/26 – 4/28: CrossFit Italian Showdown (Milan, Italy)

4/26 – 4/28: The Sun Coast Fitness Festival (Kwa-Zulu Natal, SA)

4/27: 4th Annual Spring Fever Partner Masters Comp (Souderton PA)

4/27: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit KOA (Cranford, NJ)

4/27: The Gnardog Challenge (Reedley, CA)

4/27: Festivus Games (Worldwide)

4/27: Raising the Bar for Charlotte (Medina, OH)

4/27 – 4/29: Asia CrossFit Championship (Shanghai, China)

4/27: Autism Rocks and Rows (San Clemente, CA)

4/27: Garage Games Xs and Ys (Hiram, GA)

4/27: The Explode Individual Classic (West Chester, PA)

4/27: Fast Times at West Tech High (Las Vegas, NV)

4/27: Tyler’s Voice CrossFit Competition (Jefferson City, TN)

4/27: SWFL Sharks Semi-Pro Grid Combine (Cape Coral, FL)

4/27: Explode’s Independent Classic (West Chester, FL)

4/27: Festivus Games at Crossfit Sav-up (Petaluma, CA)

4/27: 4th annual Apple Town Throwdown (Cornelia,GA)

4/27: Kettlebells for Cojones (Montgomery, TX)

4/27: Spring Fever Partner Master Competition (Souderton, PA)

4/27: Best of the Midwest Team Series Part 1 (Westfield, IN)

4/27: Officer Christopher Goddell Memorial WOD (Walkdwick, NJ)

4/27: Pose Method Run RX Course (Lake Havasu City, AZ)

4/27: Battle of the Boxes (Newport,KY)

4/27: 2019 Pensacola Beach Brawl (Pensacola, FL) 

4/27: Festivus Games at Camel City Crossfit (Winston-Salem, NC)

4/27: Festivus Games at CrossFit LaCrosse (LaCrosse, WI)

4/27: 2019 Growler Games (Lexington, NC)

5/3 – 5/4: Tough As Nails (Lubbock, TX)

5/3 – 5/5 The Fittest Experience (Austin, TX)

5/3 – 5/5: Appalachian Games (Asheville, NC)

5/4: 2nd Annual Heavy Day Morgan (Oak Ridge, TN)

5/4: Battle at the Lab 2019 Cinco De Mayo (Clarksville, TN)

5/4: Border Open Part V (El Paso, TX)

5/4: Desert Warrior (Scottsdale, AZ)

5/4: The Jurassic Classic (Kennewick, WA)

5/4: Lifto De Mayo 2019 (Eagan, MN)

5/4: Rookie Rumble Pittsburgh at Arsenal Strength (Pittsburgh, PA)

5/4: Girls Gone RX Delaware (Middletown, DE)

5/4: Black and Brewed 2019 (Huntsville, AL)

5/4: Row for Wishes (Telluride, CO)

5/4: The Locomotive Games IV (Youngstown, OH)

5/10: Beast Mode Games 2019 (Greenville, SC)

5/11: 2019 Moco Throwdown (Bethesda, MD)

5/11: Butchertown Cleaver Classic (Louisville, KY)

5/11: Girls on Girls X (Bridgeport, PA)

5/11: Battle of the Gulf Coast (Port Neches, TX)

5/11: Femme Royale So Cal (Orange, CA)

5/11: Squat for Guate (Hickory, NC)

5/18 – 5/19: Big Impact Games (Kaukauna, WI)

5/18: 2019 Barbells in the Burbs Team Comp (Carol Stream, IL)

5/18: 2019 Tough Temple CrossFit Super Total (Bethseda, MD)

5/18: Mad Hatter Games (Danbury, CT)

5/19: Heroes and Heroines Team Throwdown (Pawtucket, RI)