Tia-Clair Toomey is no longer the bridesmaid. The former two-time runner up the past two years broke through to become the 2017 CrossFit Games champion. Toomey edged out fellow Australian Kara Webb by just two points during a dramatic final day of competition in Madison, Wisconsin.
Toomey started the day with a 14-point lead over Webb and increased the lead to 40 points after the Madison Triplet event in the morning. Webb would come back storming once the athletes made it back inside the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
On the 2223 Intervals, Webb looked strong throughout while Toomey struggled on the event that included 75 overhead squats at 105 pounds. During a frenzy near the finish line, Webb’s incorrectly told Webb that she was done and to cross the finish line. Webb was the second athlete to cross the line in the event. Toomey finished 14th.
However, after the athletes left the floor, Head Judge Adrian Bozman and other Games officials were seen reviewing monitors on the sideline. After a few minutes, Dave Castro was seen talking with Webb on the Coliseum’s jumbotron. The decision was to penalize Webb six seconds, two for each rep Webb did not complete.
The scoring adjustment bumped Webb down to 4th for the event. And instead of being four points ahead of Toomey heading into the final event, Webb was now trailing by six points. That 10-point swing would prove costly.
The final event dubbed the “Fibonacci Final” featured a rep scheme modeled after the Fibonacci numbers. The 5-8-13 rep scheme (3-5-8 for women’s handstand push-ups) of deficit handstand push-ups and heavy kettlebell deadlifts followed by an 89-foot double kettlebell overhead walking lunge. Yes, 89 is one of the Fibonacci numbers.
This time Webb edged out Toomey by just 0.19 seconds to take 7th place. Toomey’s time was good for 8th. The point spread between 7th and 8th was only four points, meaning that Toomey would hold on to the top spot by just two points.
Toomey’s win is the narrowest margin of victory in the history of the CrossFit Games. Last year Davidsdottir won by 11 points over Toomey. With the win, Toomey takes home the $285,000 grand prize.
The final spot on the podium went to 2011 and 2012 CrossFit Games champion Annie Thorisdottir. Sara Sigmundsdottir would take 4th while the reigning two-time defending champion Katrin Davidsdottir finished 5th.
Final Standings:
1) Tia-Clair Toomey (994)
2) Kara Webb (992)
3) Annie Thorisdottir (964)
4) Sara Sigmundsdottir (944)
5) Katrin Davidsdottir (914)
Two Australians and three Icelanders made up the top 5. The top American was Tennil Reed-Beuerlein in 6th place. The best rookie finish was Jamie Greene in 8th.
