“With this being my last season, I am looking for a podium spot. I just missed it in 2016 and after last season, I’m hungrier than ever before. I want both teams in the top 10.”
Christian Harris is pulling on his knee sleeves and double knotting his Nanos for his 12th Open this week. Success can be hard to define in a sport that has been essentially dominated by 3 names since Christian started – Froning, Toomey and Fraser. Harris has had 5 Regionals appearances and two Affiliate Cup runs at the Games finishing 4th on CrossFit Dynamix and 8th on Move Fast Lift Heavy, he’s built a coaching business and a clothing brand and a personal brand and will leave a legacy behind when the clock beeps in Madison in August.
Success.
Last year MFLH flew under the radar after finishing 3rd in their Semifinal and landed in 8th place once the dust settled in Madison. This year three of four athletes from last year continue together with Chloe Gauvin-David joining Harris, Will Carter and Winter Rodriguez. Chloe finished one spot behind MFLH on Pro1 Montreal last year having previously finished 5th and 9th in Madison. “We had a strong team to begin with and wanted to build off the chemistry we established last season. With Chloe coming on board, she helps elevate the team with her years of experience and her overall fitness, especially gymnastics,” Harris explained.
Another change for the season is the addition of a second MFLH team. This year Harris will head up MFLH247 while MFLH365 was formed around Brooke Haas and Dex Hopkins, who Harris knew from qualifying for the Games during the doomed 2020 season on “Meat Squad” where they won Filthy150.
Harris spoke of MFLH365, “Brooke and Dex are the nucleus, Kristine Best is a competitor who brings fire and grit, she’s always been ‘right there’ every year and this will be her moment for an in person Games experience. Joe Pierro is someone I came across last year through our scouting process, we didn’t have the females to put the pieces together, this year it’s different.”
Brooke Haas is back after a couple of years off after the 2020 season due to injury. “I’m stoked to return to the competitive side again. Both teams are going to be powerhouses and you bet your ass there is going to be competition between the two, it’ll only make us better.” Now, she’s aiming to help MFLH365 reach their full potential but has some personal goals set for the season too in wanting to “find the love for competition again and enjoy the process fully. The two years off has been a big eye opener that things get taken for granted and can be taken from you in an instant.”
Last year Dex Hopkins pursued an individual run culminating in a Semifinals appearance at Syndicate Crown. Having previously been to the Games twice in 2015 and 2017, Dex is looking forward to getting back out to Madison on a team, “My heart is always to share the floor with a team. Even more so these folks I’ve been to battle with and picking up some new friends along the way. I think we have the potential to qualify and go throw some haymakers at the Games this year for sure.”
After his potential team appearance failed to materialize last year, Pierro is primed to make the most of two teams bouncing off each other in training. “Training with two teams will allow us to make big strides as a group, the potential room for growth was there after just two team training days.” He also knows, while he is part of the larger MFLH crew, his loyalty lies with 365, “All love for MFLH247 but when that 10 second countdown begins it’s gonna be war. Ready to push the limits with my 365 squad”.
Will Carter is back for his third run with MFLH and is under no illusions that there is still room for improvement, but he isn’t shying away from the challenge, “It’s better when the expectations are high, I love the pressure. This will be my third year with MFLH. I still don’t think we have reached our full potential. This year we will max out”.
Maxing out in Madison could allow Christian Harris to walk away with his legacy peaking at full tilt. But either way, MFLH has unarguably been his success.
