With the addition of the national champions this year, there are over a hundred rookies joining the Reebok CrossFit Games which kick off today in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Local champs, Dillon Mahadeo and Delice Adonis are among the rookies and will be looking to make waves during their toughest challenge to date.
The two stars of CrossFit 592 earned their spots at the games with the world’s fittest athletes following a five-week, online competition, called ‘The Open’ where workouts were verified via video and the best in each nation selected after weekly workouts.
Mahadeo and Adonis will be hoping they are among the finalists and ‘in the money’ following grueling months of preparation and even unfortunate flight delays. The field of 148 men and 134 women will be slashed after the first event to 75 athletes. That number will be reduced to 50, 40, 30, 20 and 10 over the subsequent rounds. The team competition will also be cut, but the timing of the reduction has not yet been announced.
Details of the competition workouts are yet to be released. Typically, the workouts are kept secret until the last minute.
Athletes are told what the day’s workout consists of at the last minute so they have no time to prepare. The various workouts can range from a 10km run to a one-rep max Olympic weightlift. Over the course of the weekend, competitors will have their strength, speed, gymnastics and endurance tested in the hope of winning the title, Fittest on Earth.
CrossFit is a fitness competition combining a wide range of workouts and movements. Competitors can be tested on anything from one repetition maximum weightlifting, to running and swimming.
The 2019 CrossFit Games prize money is US$300,000 for the winning male and female athletes, with prize money up for grabs all the way down to 20th place. Stabroek Sport will keep readers updated as events unfold.
