Author’s note: This is the second installment of a three-part series.
In the first installment, we took a look at reigning champion Katrin Davidsdottir versus last year’s fittest American, Kari Pearce.
We are a month away from seeing the fittest on Earth test their yearlong training in their respective region at the 2017 CrossFit Regionals. The athletes will head to one of eight regional events over three weekends for a chance to compete at the CrossFit Games in Madison, Wisconsin.
One thing is for sure: The regionals will be a little more competitive this year due several top athletes changing regions and other regions have athletes with a lot of experience.
The Barbell Spin is beginning a series called Regional Battles. What head-to-head battles will all of us want to see?
The Central region is already loaded with Games veterans Kristi Eramo, Stacie Tovar and Jennifer Smith, but we’re taking a closer look at the most notable names.
Central
Athletes: Brooke Wells and Sara Sigmundsdottir
Yes, if you missed the announcement from Sigmundsdottir a few weeks ago then SPOILER ALERT! A few weeks ago, Sigmundsdottir informed the CrossFit world that she could not compete in the Southern California Regional due to some travel issues. She will however be training in Cookeville, Tennessee at CrossFit Mayhem Freedom with the sport’s most dominant athlete: Rich Froning Jr.
Although Froning Jr. isn’t her coach, just being around such a legendary figure will only motivate her to dethrone her fellow Icelandic queen, Davidsdottir, and claim the title of Fittest Woman on Earth.
Sigmundsdottir made a statement to fellow competitors when she won this year’s Open. Wells finished ninth, but has continued to finish better in the Open each year.
At the Open 17.5 announcement held at the new home of the CrossFit Games, Sigmundsdottir let Wells — who attended the announcement to support both Davidsdottir and Sigmundsdottir — know she’d be competing in the Central region.
Wells admitted to Sherwood in an interview that Sigmundsdottir’s region change was a little shocking, but only made her want to train harder with an already stacked field.
The current University of Missouri business student didn’t necessarily move to a different continent, but she did make a change. Wells changed coaches this year after realizing what held her back in previous years: her mental game.
With Ben Bergeron as her coach, Wells will surely look to win the Central regional after finishing second at the North Central regional behind Tovar last year. If anything, Wells will likely compete at a higher level with Simgunsdottir on the same field.
With the back-to-back third fittest woman on earth and last year’s sixth-place finisher, the CrossFit community should tune in to this battle among the fittest on earth.
