“It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference.”- Tom Brokaw
SEMIFINALS WEEK ONE - WHO QUALIFIED?
The first week of semifinals for the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games is in the books, as the Torian Pro, Lowlands Throwdown and the Syndicate Crown are all over. Here’s who qualified, and who is also now in for the Last Chance Qualifier:
Torian Pro
Jay Crouch | Tia-Clair Toomey | Urban Energy
Ricky Garard | Kara Saunders | CrossFit Selwyn
Bayden Brown | Ellie Turner | CrossFit EXF
Lowlands Throwdown
Lazar Dukic | Laura Horvath | CrossFit Reykjavik
Bjorgvin Karl Gudmunsson | Karin Freyova | CF Zarautz Training Culture
Uldis Upenieks | Gabi Migala | CrossFit Portti
Moritz Fiebig | Matilde Garnes | CrossFit Oslo Purple Red
In case you missed it: Lauren Kalil, the host of The Bottom Line, spoke to none other than Rich Froning and Andrea Nisler, and Froning dished the goods on his retirement plans.
Work at Morning Chalk Up: We’re hiring! We’re adding a full-time Copywriter and Account Executive to our ranks. Key perks include remote work, a competitive salary, and unlimited burpee breaks. Full job description and how to apply available here. 🤩
Cool story: Broadcast journalist Kayla Banfield details her incredible journey and experience, which includes sleeping on couches, to become a Crossfit competition host. Hard work definitely pays off.
Dropping pounds: The debate continues to rage as to the best way to lose weight, cardiovascual exercise or resistance training?
CROSSFIT GAMES
Tia-Clair Toomey, Mayhem Freedom and CrossFit Reykjavik Run Tables at Semifinals
While most of the action this weekend has focused around the cut lines in Australia, Amsterdam and Tennessee, fans witnessed domination at the top of leaderboards.
With six events and 600 points available at each event, Tia-Clair Toomey, CrossFit Mayhem Freedom, and CrossFit Reykjavik took them all. Something that we have not seen at a Sanctional or a Semifinal (probably not ever at Regionals either, but we’re digging for that one).
Tia Takes Torian by Storm
We’ve spilled a lot of ink about Toomey this weekend, but simply put, she’s making history every time she laces up her NOBULLs.
With six events wins in a row (and seven if we go back to the final at Rogue), Toomey cruised to her 2022 Games ticket with ease and poise, not only dominating her competitors, but then cheering them on and coaching them through tough moments.
Along the way to those 600 points, she won the “2014 Regionals Event 5” by :30 seconds in a workout that only lasted four minutes, broke the programming in “Don’t Stop Me Now,” finishing the event in only two rounds, she was the only athlete male or female to do so. Oh yeah, and she’s tied for the world record in the barbell complex at 245 pounds (she could’ve hit 250 as well).
On the final day, she also crushed “Strongman Diane,” which combined strict, deficit handstand push ups with odd object carries, beating second place finisher Kara Saunders (a supremely fit individual) by more than 90 seconds in a five minute workout.
Four Rookies Qualify for CrossFit Games from 2022 Lowlands Throwdown
Four rookies have punched their first ever CrossFit Games tickets today from the Lowlands Throwdown in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Norway’s Matilde Garnes was the picture of consistency all weekend, never finishing outside of the top 10 in any of the six events and qualifying in fourth place to her first individual CrossFit Games.
Garnes also had three top three finishes, on Event 1, 2 and 5 respectively, and finished the weekend with a seventh place finish on the final event. “It just feel so amazing. I’m so happy. I just want to cry,” Garnes said in a post-competition interview.
Though this will be her first Games as an individual, Garnes, who trains with The Progrm, competed on the CrossFit Maxpuls team at the Games in 2018, and qualified again for the 2020 Games with The Progrm team at the Norwegian CrossFit Championships before the team event at the Games was canceled due to the global pandemic.
Lazar Dukic Wins Lowlands, Brother Luka Narrowly Misses: "The Saddest Win I've Had."
When Lazar Dukic crossed the finish line to close out the final event of the 2022 Lowlands Throwdown, he instantly turned his attention to Lane 8, using his last bit of energy to cheer on his younger brother Luka. Four minutes and eleven seconds after the event began, Luka crossed the finish line greeted by a celebratory embrace from his brother.
They had qualified for the CrossFit Games together once again… right? Not so fast.
Heading into the event, Luka Dukic was in 6th place, only one point behind Adrian Mundwiler. Luka came 6th in his heat with a time of 4:11, overtaking Mundwiler by four points.
Kristi Eramo O’Connell Takes Two Event Wins on Final Day to Clinch Games Spot
Kristi Eramo O’Connell is a Games veteran and stalwart in the community. Last year she had to fight her way to the Games through the Last Chance Qualifier. This year she doesn’t have to worry about that.
The details: Eramo O’Connell carded 12th and 17th finishes on Day 1 at the Syndicate Crown. But after that, she hard-charged up the leaderboard taking three event wins out of the next four events.
In Event 3, the repeat “2014 Regionals Event 5,” Eramo O’Connell crushed her competition, snagging an event win and a world record at 3:21.
She finished in sixth in event four, taking a CAP +22, but this helped her climb back up the leaderboard.
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One size doesn't fit all when it comes to recovery. You need the program, products, and guidance that are right for your body and exercise level. Take this quiz (and be honest) to get recommendations to help you recover better and crush your next WOD.
This Calorie Conversion Chart (That Includes Burpees)
Switching the rower for an air bike, a run for the ski erg, and the assault bike for burpees. Whether you're battling an injury, or lack some equipment, here are some general conversions for standard cardio programming.
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Anyone ever had a dry chicken burger? Yeah, it sucks. These BBQ chicken burgers use shredded sweet potato to keep them extra juicy. Top off with sweet BBQ sauce, sharp cheddar cheese, red onion, and lettuce for the ultimate healthy grilled chicken burger recipe.
💍 Congratulations to Caroline Conners and Austin Spencer on their wedding Saturday, May 21.
Tia-Clair Toomey completed the Torian Pro Barbell Complex event at 245 pounds/111kg to secure one of her six event wins in the semifinal.
Justin Medeiros put up 335 pounds/152kg in the Syndicate Crown Barbell Complex, which earned him 4th in the event and an eventual 1st overall.
Lex Accuar from Team CrossFit Evernox in Riverside, CA hit the heaviest female lift of the day with her 200 pound/91kg snatch in Event 1 of the Syndicate Crown.
Congratulations to Chandler Shuford from CrossFit Doors of Daring in Waxhaw, NC on the205 pound/93kg snatch PR.
Congratulations to Joel Te, owner of CrossFit 805 in Simi Valley, CA and creator of popular page “As Many Reviews as Possible”, on his 500 pound/227kg deadlift.
What do you get when you mix a barbell and a jump rope? This. Let’s hope it stays out of the 2023 Open.
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