CrossFit Responds to Rope Issue at Syndicate Crown

May 24   |   POWERED BY

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

• CrossFit responds to rope issue at Syndicate Crown which Scott Panchik said caused his injury
• A CrossFit athlete’s remarkable rowing journey to a world record
• What does the Syndicate Crown tell us about the rest of Semifinals?

“Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.” - Voltaire

CrossFit Responds to Scott Panchik Injury He Said Was Caused by Rope at Syndicate Crown

CrossFit GM of Sport Justin Bergh released an official statement on the injury Scott Panchik said caused him to pull out of the Syndicate Crown semifinal over the weekend in Knoxville, TN.

What happened: Panchik posted to Instagram on Saturday after Event 3 of the competition—the first event of day two—called “2014 Regional Event 5” which is ten rounds for time: 1 legless rope climb and a 170 foot run.

“At 7:30am we were briefed on the day’s events,” he wrote. “After seeing the amount of rope left laying on the competition floor I verbally expressed concerns I had for athletes safety in an event as fast as this one.”

Panchik continued that he felt he “presented a strong case” as to why this was unsafe.

“There have been multiple noted injuries in the past at events like this. I also mentioned that the Torian Pro had done this event already and the rope was cut keeping all the ropes off the ground. I was told nothing could be done to change the ropes and this is what was provided to be used.”

Panchik then said he landed on his “good knee” and felt a “pop”, however was able to finish the event and ended up coming 14th with a time of 3:02.95, only hundredths of a second behind Jayson Hopper and Griffin Roelle. Prior to Event 3, Panchik was sitting in 4th place overall. Moments before his heat was due on the competition floor in Event 4, “I made the decision to withdraw. Something I have never had to do in this sport,” said Panchik.

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In case you missed it: Lauren Kalil, the host of The Bottom Line, was all over Semfinals this weekend, recapping Syndicate Crown, the Lowlands Throwdown and Torian Pro.

Coaching change: Ellie Turner will now be coached by Adam Neiffer, who coaches none other than the “Fittest Man in the World” Justin Medeiros.

Chilly news: The ice bath recovery therapy world is getting more crowded by the day as Edge Theory Labs now has a portable cold tub. 🥶

Perks of winning: All podium finishers in CrossFit Games competition divisions will receive one free spot at a CrossFit Training Level 1 or Level 2 Certificate Course.

VIDEO: CrossFit Responds to Scott Panchik Rope Incident

Brit Jordan Shuttleworth seemed to be living the CrossFit dream. He owned his own box in Staffordshire, England, was head coach and was crowned London’s Fittest Man in 2018.

If you’d asked him a year ago, he probably would have said he was happy. Then, an unbelievable journey and world record changed his perspective.

Shuttleworth and a team of three others set the world record for rowing from San Francisco to Hawaii last July. Shuttleworth, Duncan Roy, Jason Caldwell and Angus Collins were completely unsupported, so they carried their own food, made water with a desalinator and even went to the bathroom in front of each other in a bucket.

Two of them would row, while two slept. They rowed in shifts – two hours on, two hours off – all day and night for the entire 30 days, five hours and 37 minutes. The team smashed nine days off the existing record.

Since then, Shuttleworth’s life has changed.

What Did We Learn from Syndicate Crown, CrossFit’s Centerpiece Semifinal?

Anyone wanting to get the best look at how the big names and stars will perform at the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games had to be watching the Syndicate Crown this past weekend. Two returning champs were on the floor (Justin Medeiros and Mayhem Freedom) and a number of high profile podium contenders were littered throughout the competition.

With that in mind, we now have our first peak at what the Games might look like this August in Madison, and here’s four takeaways you need to know with quotes from the athletes you need to watch moving forward into CrossFit’s showpiece finale:

Mayhem Freedom First Ever to Sweep Team Competition

Besides Tia-Clair Toomey this weekend in Brisbane, Mayhem Freedom became the first team to sweep every event at a semifinal, a historically dominant performance.

In addition to the successes of Rich Froning, Sam Cournoyer, Andrea Nisler and Taylor Williamson, CrossFit Mayhem will also send a second team to Madison for the first time – Mayhem Justice, who placed 5th at the end of the weekend. And, the gym also has a chance to send a third team later on in the qualifying season.

• Seth Stovall, Mayhem Justice team member on being part of the Mayhem crew:  “Being able to compete alongside Rich, it’s awesome. I watched him compete as an individual growing up, so being able to compete literally in the lane next to him, I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
• “I’ve only touched the worm 15, 20 times, so I knew when we got to that part, I told my teammates ‘I’m gonna be draggin’ so I need you guys to pick me up, and that’s exactly what they did,” Stovall continued, “We have a great bond. I love this team, I wouldn’t ask for anyone else.”

Medeiros, Adams Take the Crown

Reigning Fittest Man on Earth Justin Medieros kept a safe lead over competitor and friend Jayson Hopper all weekend, bringing home first place by 72 points.

Medeiros was, as usual, incredibly consistent, with every event finish in 7th place or under, and one event win. Last year, Medeiros placed third at his qualifying event behind Hopper and Scott Panchik, which proved to Medeiros that he could do well in the sport, he said.

This year, however, he was confident enough in his abilities to make big moves. In regards to his motivation during an event, Medeiros said,

• “You put in so much work going into (a competition), and all that work comes out this weekend, and you can do all these months of training but all that matters is what happens on the competition floor,” Medeiros said in an interview with the Morning Chalk Up. “Also, you’re gonna have to finish the workout anyway, you might as well do it fast.”

Kara Saunders Rehashes 2015 Murph Gone Bad, Offers Tips for Memorial Day

The California summer sun beamed down on Kara Saunders and the other athletes doing the hero workout Murph in the stifling hot soccer stadium at the 2015 CrossFit Games.

Saunders “started to fade,” she explained, but she wasn’t familiar with the signs of heat illness, and considering the situation, the thought of stopping didn’t even occur to her.

“I was at the CrossFit Games, for one. And it’s a hero workout in memory of someone who lost their life…so you don’t quit this. This is in memory of someone who has paid the ultimate sacrifice,” said the nine-time Games athlete.

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