Wodland Fest is coming up this weekend, but there are some notable names who will not end up on the competition floor. Sara Sigmundsdottir, Fabian Beneito and Michal Wesolowski were slated to compete, but all three have withdrawn from the In-Person Qualifying Event.
All three athletes were anticipated to have a good showing this weekend in Spain and possibly be in contention to grab one of the two qualifying spots. However, they will now need to look to the In-Affiliate Semifinals or another IPQE to qualify for this year’s CrossFit Games.
So why have the three withdrawn? Well, it appears they all have different reasons.
Sara Sigmundsdottir has not issued a statement, but in speaking with her coach, Justin Cotler, he said she is putting her focus on the Rebel Renegade Games in an attempt to return to the CrossFit Games.
The Rebel Renegade Games are in South Africa on May 30 through June 1. Sigmundsdottir is able to compete in the African competition because she is currently living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Athletes with an African passport or live/work in the Gulf countries can compete at the Rebel Renegade Games.
While Sigmundsdottir appears to be making a strategic decision with respect to competing this season, it appears that is not the case for Beneito and Wesolowski.
In an Instagram post yesterday, Benito informed his fans that he will not be in Malaga for Wodland Fest this weekend. After apologizing to his fans and brands that have supported him, Beneito ended his post with, “I have to think a little about myself and nobody else.”
I had heard Beneito may have been dealing with an injury while competing at the Mayhem Classic. And so this announcement might be related to that, although it has not been confirmed with Beneito.
As for Wesolowski, the 2023 CrossFit Games veteran shared that he has been dealing with some serious health issues recently. “I am not able to train even at 60% today – I am starting to have problems with breathing and I lose strength quickly,” shared Wesolowski.
Fortunately it appears that Wesolowski has a diagnosis and is working towards getting better, “The most important thing is that I already know what’s wrong with me and I know how to get out of it quickly and well.”
While he won’t be on the competition floor, he will travel to Malaga with his son to spend time with the Training Culture team and friends.
There will, however, be a ton of athletes vying for the spots to the CrossFit Games. In fact, there are officially 62 men and 65 women (excluding the three mentioned above) on the roster to compete at Wodland Fest. The massive field comes after Wodland Fest increased the number of athletes qualifying via the online qualifier earlier this year.
Top athletes in the field include Roman Khrennikov, Jonne Koski, Aniol Ekai, Moritz Fiebig, Colin Bosshard, Calum Clements, Bronislaw Olenkowicz, Lucy Campbell, Andrea Solberg, Linda Keesman, Ella Wilkinson, Jennifer Muir, Emelie Lundberg and Seungyeon Choi.
Wodland Fest begins on Friday, April 25. It will be livestreamed on the B. Friendly Fitness YouTube Channel.
