Author’s note: This is the first installment of a three-part series.
We’re 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 could 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?
Regional: East
Athletes: Kari Pearce and Katrin Tanja Davidsdottir
Back-to-back CrossFit Games champion Katrin Tanja Davidsdottir will go head-to-head with last year’s fittest American, Kari Pearce. Pearce — a rookie in 2015 — burst onto the CrossFit scene with a 21st place finish, training only for nine months before making the trip to Carson, California. The 5’3″ Pearce improved her 2016 performance making it into the top five, finishing fifth.
Davidsdottir is the two-time reigning champion, but Pearce is still relatively new to the sport and has been improving each year. Pearce is looking to be the first American competing as an Individual Woman to win the Crossfit Games since Kristan Clever in 2010.
Clearly Davidsdottir is the favorite to win the East Regional, just as she did a year ago, but Pearce is looking to change that. In the Open, Pearce won three of the five events and went on to win the North East region. Davidsdottir came in 2nd. While the Open was just the first step of the 2017 season, it’s shaping up to be a battle at the East Regional next month.
