We’re kicking off the 2020 CrossFit Games weekend with a trip down memory lane. Discover the Top 10 Moments from the CrossFit Games over the years - from split-second wins, to crazy events and cameramen outsprinting even the best competitors.

Welcome The Peg Board

In 2015, the final 2-part event was announced (and demonstrated) by the one and only Dave Castro, but he mentioned something most athletes had never even thought about, never mind tried-out.

It caught out a lot of athletes, testing their grip in ways that events haven’t done before, but it wasn’t the last we were going to see of the peg...

That “Chaos” Announcement

Dave Castro never fails to surprise us all year on year with a crazy event, and 2018’s “Chaos” was no different. He got all of the athletes onto the field without telling them what they were about to do, all they could see was equipment out on the floor.

At the sound of the horn, the event had started. The athlete had to run to their first set of equipment and begin moving, not knowing when to stop. As soon as the athlete had completed the reps, their judge told them to stop and proceed to the next station.

This event took pacing and pushing yourself to a whole new level!

Spealler Vs Khalipa Sandbag Sprint

Way back in 2009, Jason Khalipa was the reigning champ and a set winner for the sandbag sprint, until Chris Spealler joined the show.

The event started as the athletes sprinted over to a sandbag, thrown it over their shoulder and continued to sprint uphill. Khalipa took an early lead along with Brandon Phillips and was several metres ahead, whilst Chris was back in the pack.

Out of nowhere with just a few metres to go, the small, agile and impressive Spealler ran through the middle of both competitors, almost unseen, to take the lead.

Cameraman Steals The Show

During the sprint event at the 2016 CrossFit Games, cameraman Marston Sawyers stole the show, running alongside the competitors, keeping up, whilst also carrying a camera kit! Impressive to say the least.

Murph Causes Chaos

In 2015, a workout that all competitors would have done multiple times before, back at their own gyms, was announced. Murph: 1-mile run, 100 pullups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, 1-mile run – all while wearing a weighted vest.

Although the workout sounds almost unbearable to the untrained eye, this would be a pretty doable workout for a CrossFit Games athlete. That is until it is to be done under the Summer California Sun at midday.

Some of the world’s best CrossFit Games athletes we’re pushed to their absolute limits, Kara Webb was carried from the field on a stretcher and 2x CrossFit Games champ Annie Thorisdottir had to withdraw from the competition due to severe heat exhaustion.

Rich Froning and “That Rope Climb”

Froning’s first CrossFit Games in 2010 saw the infamous rope climb. He was set to win the Games, in a close fight between him and Graham Holmberg, but little did he know the final event was about to change his year and his athletic career forever.

Watching all the other males climb the rope using both legs and arms, Rich only knew one way, and that was arm-only, which was zapping energy from his grip and arm strength by the second. Rich finished the event in 12th place and placed 2nd on the podium that year.

The Marathon…. The Rowing Marathon!

This top 10 moment has no particular athlete moment, but the event itself. Nobody could quite believe it when Dave Castro announced that every individual would be completing a marathon, on a Concept2 rowing machine in 2018. That’s 42,195m of rowing.

The CrossFit community showed their spirit yet again during this event, as Alessandra Pichelli was in danger of not finishing the event due to severe muscle cramps. But every competitor and spectator got behind her, cheering louder for last place than they did first place.

Annie Thorisdottir’s First Muscle Up

In 2019, a fresh-faced Icelandic girl showed up at the CrossFit Games, with unbelievable strength, capacity and drive but very little technical skills, especially when it came to muscle-ups.

During one of the events, Annie was faced with a movement she had never done before and had to learn, quickly, in front of hundreds of people – it was a truly inspiring watch.

Toomey Beating the Entire Field

During the 2019 Games, reigning champ, Tia-Clair Toomey, not only beat every man and woman on the field at the swim and paddle event, she beat everyone by over 5 minutes!

2017 Final Event - Kara Saunders vs Tia Clair-Toomey

The final event of the 2017 CrossFit Games finished with 89 feet of overhead kettlebell walking lunges. Tia led the way over Kara through the workout, but just before the finish line Tia failed to lockout her arms and was asked to step back 4 feet and continue. In this time, Kara caught up and crossed the finish line less than half a second before Tia. It was the closest finish we’ve ever seen at a CrossFit Games final.

 

READ MORE: Sam Briggs Q&A Pre 2020 CrossFit Games | Jamie Simmonds joins inov-8

 

OUR ATHLETE TOP PICKS