“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”- J.R.R. Tolkien
CROSSFIT GAMES
CrossFit Announces Semifinals Reseeding; Toomey Competing at MACC
CrossFit announced changes to the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games Semifinals in an Instagram post on Tuesday evening. In the post, they announced that several athletes who could not compete in their respective Semifinals due to travel restrictions have been extended invitations to compete in Semis closer to where they live, this included two live, in-person competitions in the United States and one in Australia.
One big thing: Six athletes were reseeded and given invitations into different Semifinals than their original one with four-time reigning and defending “Fittest Woman on Earth” Tia-Clair Toomey headlining that group. Toomey will now compete at the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge on May 28-30 in Lexington, Kentucky. Along with Toomey, Emma Chapman, Carla Henriet and Christina Livaditakis have been extended invites to compete at a live competition. The remaining two athletes, Lee Keyrouz and Tafadzwa Muchandu, have been extended invites to compete at a different online Semifinal.
The details: The reseeding occurred due to athletes who qualified for their respective Semifinals not accepting their invitations, leaving open spots to fill at the discretion of CrossFit.
In the case of Toomey, who was originally set to compete at the Torian Pro Semifinal in her native Australia but was later moved to the online Atlas Games due to travel restrictions a week ago, spots became available after Andrea Nisler (Mayhem Freedom) and Carrie Beamer (CrossFit i1uvit) elected to compete on their respective teams at Semifinals than as individuals at the MACC.
Blennerhassett: ” A recent expose piece on CrossFit blog Morning Chalk Up reiterated what we all know: women face constant sexual harassment on social media platforms such as Instagram.”
The Community Series is planned to take place in August with the exact date still to be confirmed. Due to current COVID Regulations and restrictions, they will be unable to host the total number of athletes inside the competition arena as needed to run these extra divisions simultaneously as the CrossFit Games Semifinals divisions.
The Scaled Nation Classic Week Four leaders are Jason Campos, Jessica Post and Marie-Claude Meloche. The final event is May 15. Here is the updated leaderboard.
The Ten Thousand is releasing a new series called “Tested and Vetted” to provide honest and unbiased third party reviews of training gear and accessories.
PROFILE
Masters Men to Watch in 2021
Perhaps one of the most unique aspects of CrossFit is the prominence of the masters division. Unlike many sports, where athletes fade into obscurity following the end of their careers, CrossFit presents athletes with the opportunity to continue cultivating their competitive edge into their golden years through the masters divisions that run concurrently with the individuals during the CrossFit Games each year.
One big thing: As the sport has continued to age, so have the original big names that once topped the leaderboards in the individual division. The following men, once in the limelight of competition under the individual spotlight, now move to continue their careers in the masters divisions:
Five-Time Games Competitor Dan Bailey Takes Mindful Approach to AG Online Qualifier
CrossFit Games veteran Dan Bailey put on a show during the 2021 Open, finishing fourth in the 35-39 age group. He is now preparing for the Age Group Online Qualifiers, which would send him to the Games once again.
Remind me: A five-time CrossFit Games competitor, Bailey made his first appearance in 2011. He won Regionals by 18 points and then took sixth place at the Games. He returned to Carson in 2012, taking sixth once again. Bailey was a mainstay in the individual competition, posting a career-best finish of fourth in 2015 and winning Spirit of the Games. Though pec and knee injuries caused problems in the 2017 and 2018 seasons, respectively.
Larissa Cunha Looking Fulfill Childhood Dream by Making it to Madison
Larissa Cunha grew up dreaming about competing at the Olympics in gymnastics. For 12 years, she pursued the sport and became a national level gymnast, but didn’t quite reach her Olympic goal of representing Brazil on the biggest stage of her sport.
Today, the CrossFit Games dream has replaced Cunha’s Olympics goal, and after “100 percent” devoting herself to her sport in recent years, the 30-year-old, who placed first in South America in the Quarterfinals, feels like it might finally be her year.
“The Olympics were a personal dream of mine and I couldn’t do it. So I think this was always in my subconscious when I started developing in CrossFit,” Cunha said.
Cunha’s competitive history: Cunha’s first big competition was the Latin American regional competition in 2018, where she placed 10th overall. She has been on the rise since then.
In 2019, she missed qualifying to the Games by becoming her country’s national champion in the Open by one spot. She won four events, but placed 26th in Brazil on 19.1 — a couplet of wall balls and rowing — which dropped her to second overall.
Learning a new skill? Workout anxiety? Worried about lack of progress? Research shows the best strategy to combat thids is also the most simple. Find out how to pick yourself up, compliment yourself, reflect and grow.
For years we wanted to know what Mat was doing in training. Not only can you see it now, but you can join him. Watch Mat explain a day of his HWPO program, the science behind it, and how to scale for everyone.
Proper use of a belt is much more than just wearing it tightly around your stomach. If you only put it on as tight as possible, you miss out on many of the benefits the belt has to offer. Learn how to 'breathe into the belt' and use the belt for real support.
Chalk Up Highlights is our section dedicated to celebrating our community’s wins in the gym. Follow @ChalkUpHighlights and submit your highlight to [email protected] to be featured.
Happy Birthday to Matt Shaver, National Sales Manager at NOOMA.
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