This weekend ten of the Fittest Teens on Earth will descend on the peaceful Island of Mallorca. The Crown, ran and programmed by The Progrm, is aiming to springboard and motivate the competitors while showcasing their fitness.
Competitors must have competed at the Games previously and be under 20 years of age, per the competition criteria. As a reward for fitting the bill, the athletes had their trip to the island funded entirely by the competition and their sponsors, Nike and GOWOD. Today, athletes checked in and we’re shown around the island mansion Nike has rented out for their stay before being brought to their own locker with their own stash of gear inside. Following on from there, athletes had a media shoot and a briefing for day one with owner/head coach of The Progrm and event programmer, John Singleton.
From Thursday to Sunday there will be 12 events. Athletes will undertake a range of tests, broad and balanced. There will be three events off site exploring what Mallorca has to offer with its ocean and beaches, mountains and sports facilities all in use.
For John Singleton, “The most important aspect was experience of the athlete with the competition borderline second to that. We’re not searching for the Fittest on Earth, we’re showcasing their fitness and springboarding their career.” Moving from 16/17 age group to the elite is incredibly difficult, Singleton explained, “We wanted it to be balanced and test all components of fitness but one of the overarching themes was an epic for the teens.”
So what can the athletes expect to encounter over the four days?
Athletes will be mountain biking for one of the events, attempting a max handstand hold for another and they’ll head to the beach with a sandbag for another test. They’ll also hit C23 for some classic CrossFit tests and, in a more eyebrow raising test, will swimming back to shore from a boat anchored off the coast of the island.
Let’s take a closer look at the athletes taking part, first up is the Portuguese Twins…
Rodrigo Candeias (Portugal)
Affiliate: CrossFit Montijo
2023 Season to date: 34th Age Group Quarterfinals – missed Age Group Semifinal, validations pending.
Previous Best: 10th at the CrossFit Games 14/15 (2021)
Instagram
Rafael Candeias (Portugal)
Affiliate: CrossFit Montijo
2023 Season to date: 9th Age Group Quarterfinals – qualified for Age Group Semifinal
Previous Best: 6th at the CrossFit Games 14/15 (2021)
Instagram
Andrei Petku (Russia)
Affiliate: CrossFit 19.05
2023 Season to date: 23rd Asian Quarterfinal – qualified for Asian Semifinal
Previous Best: 8th at the CrossFit Games 16/17 (2022)
Instagram
Matus Kocar (Slovakia)
Gym: Different Athletics
2023 Season to date: 49th European Quarterfinal – qualified for European Semifinal
Previous Best: 18th Lowlands Semi Final/2nd at the CrossFit Games 16/17 (2019)
Instagram
Amato Mazzocca (Venezuela)
Gym: Kasmus Box, Madrid
2023 Season to date: 57th South America – missed South America Semifinal
Previous Best: 2nd at the CrossFit Games 14/15 (2019)
Instagram
Veronika Voriskova (Czech Republic)
Affiliate: CrossFit Plzen
2023 Season to date: 18th Age Group Quarterfinals – qualified for Age Group Semifinal
Previous Best: 20th Age Group Semifinal 2022
Instagram
Lili-Gabrielle Deroulede (France)
Affiliate: CrossFit Estuary
2023 Season to date: 34th Age Group Quarterfinals – missed Semifinals, validations pending
Previous Best: 5th at the CrossFit Games 14/15 (2022)
Instagram
Maria Jose Vargas (Colombia)
Affiliate: Peak360 CrossFit, Miami
2023 Season to date: 26th South America Quarterfinals – qualifies for South America Semi Final
Previous Best: 6th at the CrossFit Games 16/17 (2021)
Instagram
Ema Galova (Slovakia)
Affiliate: N/A
2023 Season to date: 230th Europe Quarterfinals
Previous Best: 7th at the CrossFit Games 16/17 (2022)
Instagram
Chiara Silva (England)
Affiliate: CrossFit Ascot
2023 Season to date: 17th Age Group Quarterfinals – qualified for Age Group Semifinal
Previous Best: 8th at the Games 14/15 (2021)
Instagram
Each day at the end of competition there will be a full recap of the day’s events, here, on The Barbell Spin.
