CrossFit was developed by Greg Glassman in 2000, with the first CrossFit gym opening in Santa Cruz, California. Over the course of more than two decades, the sport has grown to include approximately 15,000 CrossFit gyms in over 120 countries, including 7,000 affiliate gyms. The first CrossFit Games were held in 2007 and featured 70 athletes.
The 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games took place at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin, between July 27 and August 1. Individual competitions featured 40 male and 40 female athletes. Events at the competition tested athletes in all areas of physical aptitude, from strength and endurance to skill and mental capacity.
Justin Medeiros was named the men’s champion, becoming the youngest CrossFit champion in the history of the games. Tia-Clair Toomey, the women’s champion, also made history by claiming her fifth consecutive championship. The team CrossFit Mayhem Freedom defended their title as Affiliate Cup champions, finishing the event with a 279-point lead over second place.
Medeiros bested Canadian Patrick Vellner with an 82-point lead over the course of 15 events, while Canada’s Brent Fikowski finished in third place. Medeiros had to earn his victory, as just 61 points separated first and third place at the start of the final day of competition. The competition only grew tighter throughout the final day, with Vellner narrowly beating out Medeiros in the penultimate event to close the gap. That said, Medeiros dug deep to win Event 15, his first individual win, and secure the championship.
Toomey, was followed by second-place finisher Laura Horvath of Hungary. Toomey and Horvath entered the final day of competition with a firm grip on their respective positions, while third place Kristin Holte and fourth place Annie Thorisdottir were separated by just 10 points. After Thorisdottir put up a personal best in Event 13 and won her first event in Event 14, the two women entered the last event tied at 1,009 points each. Thorisdottir rode that momentum to a third-place finish, her first podium finish since 2017, when she also came in third place.
The CrossFit games welcomed competitors from around the world, with six nations represented among the top 10 finishers on the men’s side. The women’s event also saw six different countries place among the top 10.
The Affiliate Cup, meanwhile, featured 38 teams contesting 13 events over 4 days. CrossFit Mayhem Freedom won its fifth championship, along with a grand prize of $100,000.
Fans can watch the entirety of the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games competition on YouTube. The NOBILL CrossFit Games are set to move from Madison to Austin, Texas, in 2024. Interested fans and competitors can learn more about the event by visiting games.crossfit.com. The CrossFit website also features a complete schedule for the 2022 CrossFit Games season, which begins on February 24 with the CrossFit Open. The world’s largest participatory sporting event will welcome hundreds of thousands of athletes from around the globe as they engage in online competitions in preparation for upcoming CrossFit events.
