Individual Event 2 will feature gymnastics rings. The event will also be on Wednesday, August 1, following Event 1 that includes a road bike. Dave Castro has hinted that you should know your CrossFit Games history for this year’s competition.
So with that said, here’s a look back at how Castro has used gymnastics rings at the Games.
2009
This was the first year that gymnastics rings were introduced at the CrossFit Games, the third year of the competition. At the Ranch, the final event was a long chipper and in the middle were 15 ring muscle-ups.
The event was:
For time:
15 Cleans (155/100 lb.)
30 Toes-to-Bars
30 Box Jumps (24/20 in.)
15 Muscle-ups
30 Dumbbell Push Presses (40/25 lb.)
30 Double-unders
15 Thrusters (135/95 lb.)
30 Pull-ups
30 Burpees
300-foot Overhead Walking Lunges (45/25 lb.)
Mikko Salo and Charity Vale were the men’s and women’s winner of that event.
2010
The first year at the Home Depot Center. The first event started off with Amanda, 9-7-5 of ring muscle-ups and 135/95-pound squat snatches. The event took place in the tennis stadium under the lights on Friday night.
Chris Spealler and Kristan Clever would take the event wins.
The rings were not done though, at least for the men. In the Cleans-Handstand Push-ups event, men had to do ring handstand push-ups. Women, however, were spared and only had to do normal handstand push-ups.
Graham Holmberg would win the event.
2011
In 2011, ring muscle-ups were in the middle of GHD sit-ups, deadlifts and some short sprints. The event, called Triplet Sprint, took place at the track with athletes doing shuttle runs on the infield between the movements.
The event details were:
For time:
5 Muscle-ups
245/165 Deadlifts, 10 reps
15 GHD Sit-ups
Sprint 50 yards
5 Muscle-ups
245/165 Deadlifts, 10 reps
15 GHD Sit-ups
Sprint 100 yards
5 Muscle-ups
245/165 Deadlifts, 10 reps
15 GHD Sit-ups
Sprint 150 yards
5 Muscle-ups
245/165 Deadlifts, 10 reps
15 GHD Sit-ups
Sprint 200 yards
In total, the athletes completed 20 ring muscle-ups. Josh Bridges and Michelle Kinney walked away with the fastest times on the event.
2012
The 2012 CrossFit Games featured gymnastics rings twice during the competition. First, 10 burpee muscle-ups were programmed in the middle of the Saturday night chipper. Then on Sunday, the first part of the final event was Elizabeth, 21-15-9 of power cleans and ring dips.
Rich Froning would win both of the events that year. On the women’s side, Julie Foucher won the chipper while Deborah Cordner-Carson won Elizabeth.
2013
Muscle-ups waited until the final event in 2013. As part of Cinco 2, athletes did the following:
3 rounds for time:
5 Muscle-ups
5 Deficit Handstand Push-ups
-then-
90-ft overhead walking lunge (160/100-lb. axle barbell)
Rich Froning won Cinco 2 on the men’s side and Talayna Fortunato won on the women’s.
2014
The Muscle-up Biathlon. No Games event had ever had more than 20 ring muscle-ups programmed prior to this year. The Muscle-up Biathlon changed what was required of the athletes. In total, athletes had to complete 45 ring muscle-ups in between three 400-meter runs. The twist was that every time the athlete came off the rings before finishing a set, the athlete had to run a 200-meter lap.
For time:
400-meter run
18 muscle-ups
400-meter run
15 muscle-ups
400-meter run
12 muscle-ups
Each time the athlete breaks a set of muscle-ups they must run a 200-meter lap.
Time Cap: 18 minutes
Cody Anderson would go unbroken on all of three sets of muscle-ups (the only athlete to do so). Anderson won win the event along with Tiffany Hendrickson.
2015
This year no gymnastics rings were programmed at the CrossFit Games. It would be the first year since 2008 they were not programmed. In their place were bar muscle-ups during the Triangle Couplet.
2016
The rings were back in 2016, but not in the form of ring muscle-ups. Nope, instead ring handstand push-ups were brought back. In the Separator, athletes had to do ring handstand push-ups alongside a series of squats and bar-facing burpees.
This event was controversial at the time as the judging was inconsistent and some athletes were getting away with poor form and gaming the movement.
Men
For time:
12 ring handstand push-ups
15 back squats (225 lb.)
20 burpees
9 ring handstand push-ups
18 front squats (205 lb.)
20 burpees
6 ring handstand push-ups
21 overhead squats (185 lb.)
20 burpees
Scoring table drops to 50-point event for men who fail to complete the first round (first set of 20 burpees).
Women
For time:
15 back squats (165 lb.)
20 burpees
6 ring handstand push-ups
18 front squats (145 lb.)
20 burpees
4 ring handstand push-ups
21 overhead squats (125 lb.)
20 burpees
2 ring handstand push-ups
Scoring table drops to 50-point event for women who fail to complete 1 rep of the ring handstand push-up. The time of completion of each set of burpees will be used as a tiebreak.
Time cap: 16 minutes
Cole Sager and Kari Pearce had the fastest times for the event.
2017
In its first year in Madison, Dave Castro brought back Amanda. For the first event inside the Coliseum of Alliant Energy Center, Amanda .45 was created. With a lot more reps the athletes had to take on 45 ring muscle-ups and 45 squat snatches.
13-11-9-7-5 reps for time of:
Muscle-ups
Squat Snatches
M 135 lb. F 95 lb.
Dakota Rager and CrossFit Games rookie Jamie Greene won the event.
2018
It is Event 2 and is on Wednesday. In the longer format of the Games, this will be the earliest rings will have been seen by the athletes.
