CrossFit Games Semifinals Week 3: Finish Strong

May 28th, 2024

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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

  • Farmers’ carries and shuttle runs are standard fare in CrossFit gyms, but have you ever flipped hay bales or thrown stones? These implements and more from historical Basque rural sports will be on display alongside CrossFit movements in the unique CFHK Txapelketa competition. Learn more below.

  • Week 2 action at the CrossFit Games Semifinals gave us plenty to analyze. We start today by nerding out on impressive stats out of North America West.

  • Are you heading to Knoxville, TN, for the North America East Semifinal? Check out our spectator’s guide for the best places to eat, drink, train, and get caffeinated while watching some of the world's most elite athletes throw down!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“A man my size is not comfortable living on an airplane. I have to put up with a lot of shit to do it, but I wouldn't change a thing. There's nothing I would rather do.” - Snorri Baron on his career managing CrossFit athletes around the world

COMMUNITY

Credit: @cfhk.txapelketa / Instagram

Basque Country’s “CFHK” Competition Combines CrossFit and Traditional Basque Sports

CrossFit competitions challenge athletes to lift, press, squat, run, pull, and drag. Their bodies are pushed to the limit across a range of time domains as they are tested across the 10 physical skills, including power, speed, coordination, and stamina. 

But by adding a few more skills, like patience and poise, and by swapping out barbells and dumbbells for implements like axes, scythes, stones, and hay bales, we wind up with Herri Kirolak or “Basque rural sports.” 

In June, Basque rural sports take center stage at the two-day CFHK Txapelketa, which combines a modern competition structure with old-world implements for a truly unique fitness event.

Some History 

Herri Kirolak was born in the Caseríos, or traditional Basque homes, in Spain and France. 

Centuries ago, household chores — transporting heavy implements and cutting wood, lifting large stones for building, moving livestock, and carrying sacks of grain — were all daily parts of life. 

Jon Causo, CrossFit Level 2 Trainer at CrossFit Gernika in Gernika, Spain, and CFHK Txapelketa organizer, says that these chores gave way to competition amongst friends, which in time, grew into something more. 

  • “We Basques have always been people of betting and challenging our neighbors, and so these tasks began to become small challenges between neighboring families, which later gave rise to establishing rules and turning these bets into sports competitions,” Causo tells the Morning Chalk Up. 

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SPEED READS

🧑‍💻👩‍💻 CrossFit HQ is Hiring: CrossFit LLC is currently advertising six positions in IT, including several senior engineers in DevOps and software, as well as additional positions in marketing.

🏳️‍🌈💛 Reebok Unveils “Unity by Reebok” for 2024 Pride: The collection, according to Reebok, “features expressive and colorful graphics inspired by the traditional tie-dyed garments seen within Pride parades across the globe, plus apparel featuring the collection’s mantra: ‘For Anybody and Everybody.’”

🏆 TYR Wodapalooza Drops TYR Cup Details: The team at Loud and Live is dropping more info about the inaugural event this Fall. Stay in the know below:

  • With more details out in the world, the TYR Cup crew posted this hype video laying out everything you need to know. Check it out now!

  • The prize purse for the event will be $250,000, broken down as follows:

    • TYR Cup Champs: $160k per team

      Runner-ups: $40k per team

      MVP: $10k - Awarded to the individual with the greatest singular positive impact on their team’s success.

      The remaining $40k will be shared across the remaining division champs.

🏋️‍♀️📋 Training Camp Semifinalists: Several prominent training camps have dropped full rosters of their Semifinal-qualifying athletes. Check out the lists now:

ICYMI: Get caught up on all the action from North America West over the weekend!

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Credit: Nicky Freymond

Nerding Out On the 2024 CrossFit Games Semifinals: 10 Impressive Stats from North America West

The second of the big three Semifinal regions has come and gone, and with it, we witnessed a whole new set of interesting storylines and surprises.

Justin Medeiros stands on top once again after a tough 2023 season, while 2023 Games rookie Abigail Domit shocks everyone with her impressive Semifinal title.

To see what else happened over the past weekend, let’s take a look at some of the stats that defined the competition.

1. Three total qualifiers had no event finishes outside of the top 10.

  • Justin Medeiros

  • Brent Fikowski

  • Abigail Domit

2. This is the first Semifinal ever that Patrick Vellner did not finish on the podium.

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CROSSFIT SEMIFINALS

Credit: @syndicatecrown / Instagram

The Semifinal Spectator Experience: A Guide to North America East

The final week of the 2024 CrossFit Semifinals is upon us, and with it comes the North America East Semifinal by Syndicate Crown. 

  • If you’re heading to the Knoxville Civic Coliseum to watch all the live action, here’s a rundown of the gyms, restaurants, coffee shops, and other activities in the area that you can enjoy this weekend.

Worth noting: Remember, the venue has a clear bag policy, and if you still need to grab tickets, head here. 

There is more than just the Semifinal to watch, too. 

Syndicate Crown will host a community event all weekend, where people can compete solo, in pairs, or on teams of three. 

  • Community divisions will compete outside on Mary Costa Plaza, which is located directly opposite the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. Head here for heat information. 

In addition to all the fitness, local food trucks will be parked at the venue, offering spectators many options to refuel. Here are some highlights to check out.

HIGHLIGHTS

Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise? Send us a tip.

  • 🏋️‍♀️Congratulations to Colten Mertens, the only male athlete to touch-and-go the final two snatches on Semifinals Event 5.

  • Congratulations to Oscar Marcus, who PRed his snatch at the Torian Pro.

  • Congratulations to Alex Gazan on setting a new Semifinal record on Event 3, with a time of 10:27.

  • Congratulations to Julia Hannaford, the only female athlete to touch-and-go the final two snatches during Semifinals Event 5.

  • 🥳Congratulations to Kyra Milligan on qualifying for the CrossFit Games for the first time as an Individual.