Alex Vigneault and Annie Thorisdottir Win Dubai Fitness Championship Online Qualifier

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Alex Vigneault on the Assault Bike during the Dubai Fitness Championship Online Qualifier. @vigneaultalex/Instagram
Alex Vigneault on the Assault Bike during the Dubai Fitness Championship Online Qualifier. @vigneaultalex/Instagram

For most online qualifiers, just qualifying for the main competition is all that matters. But with the Dubai Fitness Championship Online Qualifier, there is real prize money based on where an athlete finishes.

After the three week, five event qualifier, Alex Vigneault and Annie Thorisdottir topped the online qualifier leaderboard. Each athlete will walk away with $9,000 and an invitation to compete in Dubai this December for the top prize of $50,000. Vigneault injured his pec leading up to this year’s CrossFit Regionals while Thorisdottir finished 3rd at the CrossFit Games.

The top 30 who qualified for the Dubai Fitness Championship include numerous CrossFit Games veterans. 13 men and 13 women have competed at the CrossFit Games as individuals. The rest of the field includes CrossFit Regional-level athletes.

All 30 qualifiers will receive prize money for qualifying. In addition, each athlete is guaranteed with earning a minimum of $1,000 by competing in Dubai.

Here is the list of the 2017 Dubai Fitness Championship qualifiers:

Men Women
Alex Vigneault Annie Thorisdottir
Bartek Lipka Laura Horvath
Bjorgvin Gudmundsson Kara Webb
Lukas Esslinger Kari Pearce
Travis Mayer Thuri Helgadottir
Christian Lucero Kristin Holte
Elliot Simmonds Jessica Coughlan
Milosz Staworzynski Samantha Briggs
Stephanie Cossette Alessandra Pichelli
Bronislaw Olenkowicz Mirakim Couvrette
Eric Carmody Jen Smith
Cody Anderson Caroline Dardini
Ruan Duvenage Lauren Fisher
Phil Hesketh Harriet Roberts
Alexandre Caron Kristi Eramo
Antonio Milocco Andrea Nisler
Alexander Elebro Eik Gylfadottir
Tim Paulson Rochelle Steinbergs
Willy Georges Emma Rosengren
Casper Gammelmark Emmy Simpkins
Craig Kenney Bjork Odinsdottir
Zach Sowder Chelsey Hughes
Joel Munro Carole Castellani
Joey Tortora Mia Akerlund
Ioannis Papadopoulos Courtney Walker
Jason Smith Gabriela Migala
Anthony Vasquez Carmen Bosmans
James Newbury Camilla Salomonsson Hellman
Kyle Zozaya Karin Freyova
Alec Smith Amanda Franden

 

Notable names that did not qualify include Streat Hoerner, Rasmus Anderson, Cassidy Lance-McWherter, Sammy Wood, Emily Abbott, Kelley Jackson and Carleen Mathews.

The online qualifier also had several names disappear from the leaderboard. Natalie Newhart was in the top 30, but was removed from the leaderboard after organizers decided to enforce CrossFit’s two-year suspension.

Frederick Aegidius is also no longer on the men’s leaderboard. Aegidius was near the top 30 cut-off throughout the online qualifier, but as of Tuesday afternoon the CrossFit Games athlete has been removed. There has been no official statement on this matter and Aegidius has not responded to an inquiry by The Barbell Spin.

Aegidius and his girlfriend, Annie Thorisdottir, are in Australia this week as Thorisdottir is competing at the CrossFit Invitational.