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The Devin Ford Controversy and the Top 20 Confirmed Athletes

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is fueled by RP Strength.



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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Don’t tell me about the pain. Show me the baby.” — Bill Parcells

Top 20 Athletes Worldwide are Confirmed, and the Devin Ford Controversy

 

While the verification process is still ongoing for national champions, CrossFit HQ made official the top 20 worldwide athletes from the 2019 CrossFit Open. With that they announced the a number of penalties — one which caused a massive social media uproar among athletes and fans. More on that in a minute.

  • The Open leaderboard is set and everyone above the blue line has officially qualified as a top 20 worldwide athlete.
  • This part might seem confusing. There are a good number of national champions above that line. They will qualify as national champions and not the top 20 worldwide. For example, Mathew Fraser (1) is national champion for the U.S. and Jacob Heppner (3) is qualified in the top 20.
  • A couple of the big male names: Jacob Heppner, Cole Sager, George Sterner, Rich Froning, Scott Panchik, Jason Carroll, Streat Hoener, Travis Mayer, R. Paul Castillo, Sam Kwant, Logan Collins, Alex Vigneault and Dean Linder-Leighton.
  • A couple of the big female names: Brooke Wells, Kari Pearce, Amanda Barnhart, Mekenzie Riley, Katrin Davidsdottir, Carolyne Prevost, McKenzie Flinchum, Alexis Johnson, Tasia Percevecz, Kristi Eramo, and Haley Adams.
  • Rich Froning, Tasia Percevecz and Alexis Johnson will probably decline their invites to compete on teams. Technically neither Mayhem nor Team MisFit (Johnson) has qualified as a team yet but that could change starting this weekend at Asia CrossFit Championship. It wouldn’t surprise us if Haley Adams, who is set to compete at the Asia and Reykjavik Sanctionals, accepts and competes as an individual.

Deep dive: As we noted earlier this month, CrossFit HQ began reviewing more videos week-by-week and assessing steeper penalties during the Open.

  • CrossFit is holding a tighter standard in the review process with these score corrections.
  • Every athlete we’ve spoken to has agreed with an increase in video verification to ensure that only the best are ending up in Madison, especially since the Open is a direct route to qualification now. If you’re a Games athlete and don’t agree, feel free to drop us a note.
  • CrossFit Games’ General Manager, Justin Bergh, said that this type of review will be the new norm: “This is what top athletes should expect going forward.”

Which is what makes this next part so controversial and has CrossFit Games athletes speaking out.

Devin Ford, a six-time East Regional athlete, was assessed a “major penalty for performing only 40 handstand push-ups in 19.3.” His missed the required 50 handstand push-ups by 10 reps.

Continue reading…

Things To…

 

WATCH: Inside Invictus at Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge 

In this episode of Inside Invictus, follow along as team Invictus X take the floor in Washington, D.C. at the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge to earn their ticket to the Games. They start with flight delays, arrive in the middle of the night, but rally to win the weekend.

MADISON BOUND. 

 

HEAR: Mat Fraser on the Brute Strength Podcast

On this episode of the Brute Strength Podcast, three-time CrossFit Games champion Mat Fraser joins Michael Cazayoux to discuss his upbringing and his rise to the podium. Fraser discusses his early struggles with drugs and alcohol, working on an oil rig, his habits and rituals and how he stays motivated on a daily basis.

THE DISCIPLINED MIND.

 
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FUEL YOUR BODY.

 

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CLEAN EATS FOR THE FAM.

 

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

Chalk Up Community

 
  • NEW AFFILIATE — CrossFit EOR in Orange, TX has opened their door for business. 
  • LOUD & LIVE NOW HIRING — Loud & Live Sports is looking for a Digital Content Coordinator. The ideal candidate has a passion for social media and staying up to date on current event and digital trends, is a heavy social media user and enjoys creating fun, energetic and relevant content.
  • WODDING TO HEAR — CrossFit Ridge Runner in Elizabethton, TN is hosting WODing to Hear on Saturday, May 18. All funds will go to Waiting to Hear, a local organization that helps children get hearing aids and assistance with hearing.
  • AFTER SCHOOL CROSSFIT — The Ethan Foundation and CrossFit Old School in Bowling Green, KY have teamed up to bring a seven-week after-school CrossFit program to children at St. Joseph Interparochial School.
  • YOGA COMES TO CROSSFIT — CrossFit Revamped in Columbia, MD will offer yoga classes on Sundays beginning in May. 

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

Happy birthday Travis Williams • Jamie Hagiya is now a Stance ambassadorJames Townsend bench presses 407 poundsDean Linder-Leighton cleans 353 pounds for two • Happy birthday Julie StarrettAdrian Conway does three back squats at 405 poundsHappy birthday Dusty HylandJulie Bauer Roth, AKA PaleOMG, launched her line of Four Athletics yesterday • Chase Knight back squats 300 pounds for five • Nikolai Kaganovitch overhead squats 360 pounds for two • Emily Breeze Ross Watson is having a girl.

…and this college senior took his graduation photos at CrossFit. A++ kid.

Just Launched…A CrossFit UK Facebook page

CrossFit Italian Showdown — The CrossFit Italian Showdown kicks off Friday in Milan. Here’s how it will work:

— “One thousand athletes from all over the world will come together on Day 1 of the 2019 CrossFit Italian Showdown and will go head to head in three qualifying consecutive workouts to grab points. The 280 athletes with most points will move ahead to Day 2 and Day 3. At the end of the third day, the top five athletes will go to the final showdown to earn the invitation to the CrossFit Games in Madison.

— How to Watch: The event will be livestreamed on CrossFit Italian Showdown’s Instagram and Facebook.

Asia CrossFit Championship — The Asia CrossFit Championship takes place this weekend also, from April 27 – 29.

— How to Watch: You can watch the live feed hosted locally within China on YouKu and also on YouTube for the rest of the world. They will also post a daily update show with Tommy Marquez and Rory McKernan on their Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Alyssa Richey at Pan Am — Yesterday, Team USA weightlifter Alyssa Richey made all six of her lifts with an 83kg/183 pound snatch and 107kg/236 pound clean and jerk. All were PR’s, American and Pan Am records in the clean and jerk and in her total. 

— The 2019 Pan American Championships will continue through Saturday and will be livestreamed. Here’s who lifts today:

— 10:00 AM PT Jordan Wissinger

— 12:30 PM PT Jourdan Delacruz and Caitlin Hogan

— 2:30 PM PT CJ Cummings

— 5:00 PM PT Jessica Lucero

Get Hunter McIntyre to the Games — Hunter McIntyre, who has his eyes on a wild card to the 2019 CrossFit Games, is taking #GetHunterToTheGames on tour.

— “But here’s the reality. This is a man going into a ring, up against the odds, up against the greatest, who doesn’t have the skill set to be in there, but thinks he can be and will do everything in his power to be ready the day of the fight. That’s exactly what I am doing right now and I guarantee that at the end of that weekend, you’re not going to see me at the back of the pack.”

— “Over the next four months, until the start of the CrossFit Games, I’m going to chase the best athletes in the world. I’m going to sit down with them, I’m going to learn from them, I’m going to work with them, I’m going to try to beat them or I’m going to get beat up by them.”

Reads

CHALK UP READS

“Sanctionals Should Re-Examine Point Systems,” by Justin LoFranco, Morning Chalk Up 

Two weeks back at the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Championship, event organizers used the CrossFit Games scoring system to allot points based on 40 competitor placement, but the competition only fielded 20 individual competitors. They’re not the first Sanctional to do this nor are they the last, but when Armen Hammer brought it up it got us thinking about the efficacy of the Games scoring system.

Armen Hammer: “You have first place getting 100 points and the last place getting 40 points…It makes a difference in terms of where the athletes are going to fit, how many points they can earn over the course of a weekend of events and where the competitive pushes have to happen in order for athletes to gain points because when you’re gaining that many points for being in last place you’re not really getting separated as much as you possibly could be.”

The Games’ scoring system was designed for 40 competitors; it was also designed specifically for the Games and Regionals. First place is awarded 100 points, 20th place is awarded 40 points and 40th place is awarded 0.

The current Games scoring rewards consistency especially at the top. Here’s an example: Two athletes average fifth place across 10 events. Athlete A finishes half of the workouts in first, and half of the workouts in 9th. Athlete B finishes every single workout in 5th place. They’ve technically split workouts between them 50/50, but Athlete A would finish with 820 points and Athlete B with 800.

This point system also punishes an athlete who completely bombs a workout: 0 points for last place: 35th gets 10 points, 40th gets 0.

The non-linear points system also awards being in the Top 10 by allocating a greater points gap between places for the top spots.

How Sanctionals are scoring their events: Among the six Sanctionals this season, three of six events have used the Games’ 40-person point system exactly as written. Wodapalooza and Strength in Depth are fairly close in numbers to the Games; only Mid-Atlantic sticks out as being significantly different.

Reads

CHALK UP CALENDAR

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 Rivalry 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)

4/27: The Spring Fling (Knoxville, TN)

4/27: Stepping Into Summer (Fairfield, OH)

4/27: REDLINE.Venice A PAINKLLR Competition (Venice, CA)

4/27:  One Mind 1 Force (West Deptford, NJ)

4/27: FOXWod 2019 (Worldwide)

4/27: Burpees For Bellies (Williamston, MI)

4/28: David Vs. Golitah (Mansfield, MA)

5/2 – 5/6: Age Group Online Qualifier (Online)

5/3: Lift For Lee (Williamston, MI)

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)

5/3 – 5/5: Reykjavik CrossFit Championship (Reykjavik, Iceland)

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: Girls Gone RX DC (Alexandria, VA)

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

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

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

5/4: Breaking Boundaries Competition (Greer, SC)

5/4: Cura Sapulpa Fundraiser (Sapulpa, OK)

5/5: Cupid’s Spring Fling (Medina, 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)

5/11: Southside Showdown (Jenks OK)

5/17 – 5/19: ACA Throwdown 2019 (Johannesburg, SA)

5/17 – 5/19: Down Under CrossFit Championship (Wollongong NSW)

5/17 – 5/19: Brazil CrossFit Challennge (São Paulo, Brazil)

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)

5/18: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit Chester Springs (Chester Springs, PA)

5/18: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit PTV (Redmond, WA)

5/18 – 5/19: Shred Fest (Orlando, FL)

5/18: Cindy-a-Thon (San Leandro, CA)

5/18: Fallout in the Falls (Wichita Falls, TX)

5/18: East Coast Battle ( Hanover, MD) 

5/18: Meshugge CrossFit Summer Melee 2019 (Overland Park, KS)

5/18: Backstreet Brawl 3 (West Bend, WI)

5/18: Flower City Throwdown Women’s Division (Rochester, NY)

5/18: Warriors Hope (Greenwood, IN)

5/18: WODding to Hear (Elizabethton, TN)

5/18: Fifth Annual Guns N Hoses Competition (Anaheim, CA)

5/18 – 5/19: Rogue Invitational (Columbus, OH)

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

5/21: Brady’s Border2Border Ruck March (Beach, ND)

5/24: 24 Heroes in 24 Hours (Ardmore, PA)

5/30 – 6/2: Granite Games (St. Cloud, MN)

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