The 2016 CrossFit Games are a wrap. Mat Fraser and Katrin Davidsdottir are your 2016 champions. The Games this year took us to the Ranch, introduced new elements like the Snail and the Plow, and gave the athletes a chance at redemption for both Murph and on the pegboard.
Here is a look at our top 10 favorite moments from the 2016 Reebok CrossFit Games.
10. Sam Briggs Makes It to Carson
In the weeks leading up to the Games, Sam Briggs reached out to the CrossFit community for help. Briggs was encountering problems with her visa and needed help to make the trip to Carson, California. On Monday morning before the Games, Progenex posted a photo of Briggs on American soil and that she had make it to Los Angeles. Briggs went on to compete and finished with an event victory (Climbing Snail) and a 4th place finish overall.
9. Sam Dancer Deadlifts 615-Pounds
A short 15 minutes after completing the 7k trail run at the Ranch, the athletes faced a tougher version of the 2009 Deadlift Ladder. The ladder consisted of 20 barbells starting at 425-pounds and increasing up to 615-pounds. Sam Dancer was the last to finish the trail run which meant he was the first to start the deadlift ladder. Dancer cruised through the deadlifts and was the only male athlete to complete the ladder. And now via Instagram, we find out that Dancer had broken his fibula during the trail run and still went on to take 32nd overall.
8. Davidsdottir and Toomey Battle on Sunda
It started Saturday night during Event 10, 100%, when Tia-Clair Toomey took the lead from Katrin Davidsdottir. With an 8-point deficit going into Sunday, Davidsdottir went unbroken to win the handstand walk and take the lead back. It was short-lived, however, as Toomey won the Suicide Sprint regaining the overall lead. Davidsdottir fought back with a determined performance on the Plow Pull for another event victory. The event win put Davidsdottir in front for good, but it wasn’t without a fight from Toomey on the final event, Redemption.
7. Zak Carchedi Flies Through Pegboard
The pegboard was the sticking point for a lot of athletes in 2015. This year, Dave Castro gave the athletes the ability to redeem themselves. While some athletes still struggled, Zak Carchedi did not. The pegboard/thruster couplet proved no match for Carchedi as he flew through the event with a blazing time of 5:37. Carchedi’s time 19 seconds faster than Mat Fraser’s 2nd place finish. Carchedi, a Games rookie, finished 23rd overall.
6. Brent Fikowski Wins Four Events
Brent Fikowski has been known for his engine and his ability to grind through long workouts over the past three regionals. With his first shot at the Games, Fikowski left it all on the floor on his way to four event victories and three more 3rd place finishes. The four event wins were the most of any individual athlete. Fikowski finished 4th overall.
5. Katrin Davidsdottir Goes Unbroken For 280-Foot Handstand Walk
Known for her gymnastics skills, Katrin Davidsdottir did not disappoint on Event 11, Handstand Walk. Davidsdottir went unbroken across the 280-foot soccer stadium pulling out a victory and surging back into first place ahead of Tia-Clair Toomey. Davidsdottir went on to win three events and repeated as the Fittest Woman on Earth.
4. The Snail
One of the coolest new implements of the 2016 CrossFit Games was the Snail. A huge red cylinder filled with sandbags faced the athletes on the Climbing Snail event on Saturday afternoon. The sandbags prevented the Snail from gaining momentum, requiring the athletes to use full force the entire way across the soccer stadium.
3. Jennifer Smith Finishes Murph
Jennifer Smith has been dealing with plantar fasciitis since last November, although you probably wouldn’t have known it by watching her at regionals. However, Smith partially tore the ligament during the 7k trail run at the Ranch on Wednesday. Unable to run without severe pain, Smith walked/trotted the mile runs during Murph. Smith entered the soccer stadium seconds before the 55-minute time cap sounded, but that didn’t stop her. Smith continued and finished the event although she was officially credited with a CAP. Smith finished 36th overall with her best finish in the Ranch Mini Chipper where she placed 10th.
2. Mat Fraser Runs Away
Almost a wire-to-wire victory, there was no doubt that Fraser was going to win the CrossFit Games after Friday night. While Fraser only won one event, the 7k Trail Run, he took 2nd place seven times and had only once finish outside the top 10 (23rd in the Deadlift Ladder). Fraser went on to win the Games by 197 points, the largest margin ever by an individual athlete. Some are wondering if it was the most impressive performance ever at the Games.
1. Going Back to Aromas
On Tuesday night, we found out the individual athletes had to meet in the hotel lobby at 3:30am. Once gathered they found out they would be boarding a plane for the first day’s events. The flight and buses took them to Aromas, California where they would compete at the birthplace of the CrossFit Games, the Ranch. At the Ranch, the athletes faced a tougher version of the 7k Trail Run and a heavier version of the Deadlift Ladder, both from the 2009 CrossFit Games. The finished up with a new event, the Ranch Mini Chipper, before coming back home that night.
