Who Wins Quarterfinals? Check Out Our Predictions

April 19th, 2024

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

  • Is this your first Quarterfinals or are you a grizzled vet? Either way, check out our list of last-minute tips, with insights from Games athletes and coaches to help you send it!

  • One of the minds behind Fran Lung Analytics, Dave Charlton, peers into his crystal ball (read: massive database) and gives us his top picks and predictions for each Quarterfinals test.

  • Morning Chalk Up staff members will take on the Quarterfinals workouts all weekend and give you some behind-the-scenes access. Get their “before” thoughts today and look for the “aftermath” early next week.

Want an Exclusive Morning Chalk Up x 2POOD Belt? We are giving away 10 exclusive Morning Chalk Up belts from 2POOD, and all you have to do is sign up for a free trial of our Rx membership to have a shot at winning one. Today is the last day to enter!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“My relative strengths are typically machines and certain gymnastics like handstand walking and ring muscle-ups. And like Kevin Hart in Jumanji, my relative weaknesses are strength…and cake.” - Scotty Freymond on balancing his strengths and weaknesses in Quarterfinals

CROSSFIT QUARTERFINALS

Credit: Frank Nguyen

8 Tips for CrossFit Quarterfinals Success, With Advice From Alexis Raptis, Anikha Greer, and More

First, I want to say “Congratulations!!” on making it to this step in the 2024 CrossFit Games season.

You are amongst the top 25 percent of the Fittest People on Earth. Whether this is your first time making it to this stage or you are a seasoned veteran, there are a couple of big things to consider as you prepare for the Quarterfinals. Taking these things out of the equation will allow you to focus solely on your performance without worrying about anything else. Check out our recommendations below.

Check out our recommendations below:

1. Have backup equipment 

Grips tear, jump rope handles break — if it can happen, it will happen in the middle of a workout. 

Make sure you have backup options nearby. The same goes for equipment that you use every day and may need nearby (thumb tape, belt, etc.) 

2. Have a backup camera 

You should make sure that both cameras capture all the requirements in their frames (the athlete, your equipment, and the clock). In the event someone stands in front of your camera or technical difficulties crop up during your attempt, you’ll have another backup angle.

3. Secure your footage 

It may sound extreme, but setting up cones around your camera or putting tape around your designated testing area can be so helpful. This way, people can see your camera is there, that you’re recording, and that you are in the middle of a test. This is even more important in a gym full of spectators and other athletes.

  • You should also ensure your device is on airplane mode if it receives notifications. 

Furthermore, you can ask someone from your support team to stay near the camera in your designated testing area to ensure no one stands in front of it while you are going or no one bumps into it.

GIVEAWAY

Exclusive 2POOD x Morning Chalk Up Belt Giveaway

See that belt? Want that belt? Well, what if you could have that belt for free?

We have 10 exclusive Morning Chalk Up belts from 2POOD to give away, and all you have to do is sign up for a free trial of our Rx membership to have a shot at winning one.

Along with a chance to win an awesome new belt, Rx members get access to:

  • Exclusive Giveaways

  • Interviews With Top Athletes

  • One-of-a-Kind Stats Breakdowns

  • Expert Analysis

  • Members-Only Discounts From Top Brands

Today is the last day to enter, so you’d better act fast!

We’re cooking up even more exclusive deals and articles written by some of the biggest names in the sport, so there’s never been a better time to become an Rx member. This offer expires today!

SPEED READS

💪 📖 Earlier in the week, Memelord John Wooley, the creator behind “Make WODs Great Again,” shared his thoughts on the OG CrossFit slogan “Forging Elite Fitness.”

🧐🕵️ Looking for even more tips and strategies for smashing the Quarterfinals? Here are just a few helpful resources from around the web (totally not comprehensive):

🎯 Beat Dave Castro: CrossFit General Manager of Sport and Education Dave Castro qualified for and will be completing the Individual and Age-Group Quarterfinals workouts. Beat Dave Castro’s scores and earn the chance to win a pair of GORUCK shoes.

  • Once the leaderboard has been finalized, CrossFit will randomly select three winners per workout to be the lucky owners of a new pair of GORUCK shoes. Learn more.

📢📣 Last Call for Teen Mentors: The Pit Teen Throwdown, host of the 2024 Teen CrossFit Games has set up a mentorship program for the teen athletes to receive advice and guidance from those with Games experience. If you’re a Games athlete and interested in helping the next generation in the sport, learn more and get signed up now!

🎟️ 🎟️ CrossFit Asia Semifinal: The Far East Throwdown, the 2024 CrossFit Asia Semifinal, will take place May 17-19 at the BEXCO Exhibition and Convention Center in Busan, South Korea. Tickets are available now!

✍️📋 Rogue Invitational 2024 Volunteer Applications: In case you missed the announcement, the Rogue Invitational is going international in 2024, and you can be there, behind the scenes, for all the action in Aberdeen, Scotland. Get more information and apply now.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Credit: @jordan.t.levin / Instagram

Who Will Win the 2024 CrossFit Games Quarterfinals?

There is very little room for error in Quarterfinals, as the top athletes in the world compete for 40 individual spots in each Semifinal region. 

As the workouts become more difficult, the best in the world tend to rise to the top in individual “wheelhouse” events and on the overall leaderboard at this stage of the competition season.

As we head into the weekend after reviewing the programming, we thought it would be fun to make some predictions about who could finish on top of each event.

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CROSSFIT QUARTERFINALS

Credit: @jprensena, @ginacafiero, @wodfestcr, and @eric_castanos / Instagram

4 Morning Chalk Up Writers Take on the 2024 CrossFit Games Quarterfinals — Here Are Their Thoughts

Four Morning Chalk writers – Teaganne Finn, Scotty Freymond, Nicky Freymond, and Julia Papworth – crushed the Open and have moved on to Quarterfinals!

As we have in years past, we will use their experiences to highlight the workouts, strategies, and maybe even what happens when it all goes sideways.

Today, each writer-athlete will provide a brief background of their current fitness, then describe their initial thoughts and strategies for one of the CrossFit Games Quarterfinals workouts they will take on this weekend.

Workout 1, Scotty Freymond 

4 Rounds for max reps of:

1 minute of snatches
1 minute of rowing for calories
1 minute of dumbbell box step-ups
1 minute of rest

For reference, I am 43 years old, and here are my scores from the 2024 Open:

  • Open Workout 24.1 – 9:59

  • Open Workout 24.2 – 813

  • Open Workout 24.3 – 148 

My relative strengths are typically machines and certain gymnastics like handstand walking and ring muscle-ups (But not handstand push-ups. Get it, Julia!). And like Kevin Hart in Jumanji, my relative weaknesses are strength..and cake.

  • At first glance, Workout 1 looks like a more enjoyable yet grippier version of Fight Gone Bad or Ghost. With no transition time built in, it’s important to determine which movement(s) will get the full minute and which will get eaten into with transition time. 

For me, at 6’2”, the row is where I will get the most reps. So I plan on doing singles on the snatches every six seconds until the 54-second mark each round, row the full minute, and try to hang on for the step-ups. 

Here are four things I plan on doing that could help tremendously: 

  • Keeping the foot straps on the rower loose enough to slip in and out of quickly. 

  • Leaving the dumbbells on the box will save precious seconds and energy.

  • Swinging the dumbbells forward to propel me to the top of the box.

  • Sitting on the box during each minute of rest. 

I’m shooting for eight snatches, 20 calories, and 12 box step-ups each round. That would give me a score of 160. We…shall…see.

HIGHLIGHTS

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

  • 🎂Happy birthday to Baylee Rayl.

  • Congratulations to Trevor from Uniquely Abled CrossFit on unlocking his new deadlift skill.

  • Nice work to Games athlete Joshua Al-chamaa on the 147-kilo/325-pound power clean.

  • 🔥No GHD? No problem for Ak Akatwijuka. Check out his innovative set-up.

  • Congratulations to Gary of CrossFit Bua in Ireland on the 70-kilo/154-pound snatch (while wearing a cute outfit ☺️).