How Kara Saunders, Jamie Simmonds & Emily de Rooy Can Help Oceania Earn a 4th Spot to the 2024 CrossFit Games

Much has been made of how the 40 spots to the CrossFit Games are allocated to the seven different Semifinal competitions. From worldwide rankings to the D’Hondt method, the new system is entering its second year. And with that, we will get to see how the allocations change, if at all, from last season.

After reviewing the current worldwide rankings, only one of the smaller regions appears to have a shot at gaining an additional spot to the CrossFit Games above the minimum allocation. That is the Oceania women. But to do so it will require some women in Oceania to do a little extra. Let me explain…

Brief Background

Oceania’s minimum allocation to the CrossFit Games is three (3). That means regardless of how many Oceania women are in the top 100 of the worldwide rankings after Quarterfinals, three women will qualify to the CrossFit Games from the Torian Pro Semifinal.

However, if enough Oceania women are in the top 100 after Quarterfinals, they could receive one of the Games spots allocated via the D’Hondt method calculation.

How many women from Oceania need to be in the top 100 to earn an additional spot to the CrossFit Games? That answer is five (5).

Current Oceania Women in Top 100

So how many women from Oceania are currently in the Top 100? 4.

19. Ellie Turner (12,915 points)
31. Jamie Simmonds (10,820)
62. Maddie Sturt (8,500)
67. Emily de Rooy (8,400)

We know from experience that the worldwide rankings do not move much because the points from the Open and Quarterfinals do not have a material impact as points from two years ago (2022 Open & Quarterfinals) roll off and are replaced with this year’s Open & Quarterfinals (the only exception is for athletes who did not compete in the 2022 season or those who competed on a team and did not participate as an individual).

So How Can Oceania Earn Another Spot?

As mentioned above, Oceania needs five women to be in the top 100 after Quarterfinals this year. To be included in the worldwide rankings, an athlete must register for the Individual Quarterfinals. If an athlete does not register for Individual Quarterfinals, the athlete will be removed from the worldwide rankings and top 100 even if they have enough points to be ranked.

That bold sentence above is critical as you will see…

Based on CrossFit’s ruling this week, we know Ellie Turner will be competing out of Oceania again this year. That’s 1.

Maddie Sturt will also compete as an individual this year. That’s 2.

As for other individual athletes competing, Grace Walton (136), Bailey Rogers (139), Georgia Pryer (145), Gemma Hauck (149), Laura Clifton (186) and Julia Hannaford (2,316) won’t add enough points to break into the Top 100 regardless of how well they do in the Open or Quarterfinals.

However, Katelin Van Zyl (372) can break into the Top 100. The reason is that she did not compete in the 2022 Individual Quarterfinals, thus she earned zero points for that competition. When that competition rolls off and is replaced by the 2024 Quarterfinals, Van Zyl can add up to 2,000 points to her worldwide ranking. She currently has 5,560 points. To break into the Top 100, she will need approximately 7,300 points, or 1,740 points in this year’s Quarterfinals. While not guaranteed, she earned 1,980 points from last year’s Quarterfinals. So that’s 3.

While Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr coming back would be the 4th Oceania woman in the Top 100, it’s likely she applies for and receives a region exemption to compete out of the North America East region. If that happens, Tia’s worldwide ranking points go with her to North America.

So Oceania still needs two more women in the Top 100.

And here’s the crux of the situation. Jamie Simmonds and Emily de Rooy are both competing on a team in 2024. Kara Saunders is returning and will be in the Top 100 after completing the Open. However, she is also going team.

If all three women only compete in the Team Quarterfinals, they will be removed from the worldwide rankings and the Top 100. This would leave Oceania with only three women in the Top 100 and Oceania would send the minimum allocation of three athletes to the CrossFit Games.

BUT…

Women Going Team Need to Do Individual Quarterfinals

If Jamie, Emily and Kara just register for the Individual Quarterfinals they will remain in the worldwide rankings. Jamie Simmonds doesn’t even need to submit a score as she has enough points banked to remain in the Top 100. Emily de Rooy and Kara Saunders, however, will need to submit scores to guarantee they stay in the Top 100 after Quarterfinals.

So if all three women (Jamie, Emily and Kara) register and pay for the Individual Quarterfinals and submit workouts, they will be the 4th, 5th and 6th women from Oceania to be in the Top 100.

And when the D’Hondt method calculation is run, Oceania will earn one of the unallocated spots to the Games such that Oceania women will qualify four women to the 2024 CrossFit Games.

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