After five long weeks of workouts, irritable bowels, and browser refreshes the CrossFit Open is done! Congrats to the 55 CrossFit Impulse Athletes that signed up to compete and the 35 that finished the competition by turning in a score for every workout. A big part of success is just showing up, and these 35 showed their dedication by diligently completing the WOD every week, even if they struggled for just a few reps.
And that is where the real success story of the Open lies–not in the final placement of the top athletes, but the countless personal records and shattered barriers achieved by all. Here are some notable milestones from our athletes during the 2012 CrossFit Open:
- Sundae, Nicki, and Tom achieved their first toes to bar during WOD 12.3
- Tom, Haily, Sarah, Beth, Angelina, and Sandra achieved their first chest to bar pullups during WOD 12.5
- Nissa achieved a PR power clean and push press during WOD 12.3
- Alex achieved a snatch PR during his first run of WOD 12.2 and went on to complete 15 reps of the new PR during his second run, placing third on the team and contributing to the team score
- Kim and Nissa achieved their first 20″ box jumps during WOD 12.3
I want to focus on three stories in particular that inspired me during the Open.
First is Matt Montes. After four weeks of consistently stellar scores, Matt suffered a chest injury during a routine training WOD before WOD 12.5. Determined to finish what he started, he practiced diligently for 12.5. On game day he loaded the bar with the prescribed 100 lbs and performed three legitimate thrusters–with one arm, gripping the bar in the center.
Next is Tony Rogers. Tony stunned us all when he showed up for WOD 12.2 and set up for the snatches with the correct prescribed weights for his division: Masters Men 55+. This prompted a series of echoes throughout the next few weeks of “Holy shit! Tony is 55?!?” Not showing his age, Tony went on to finish 69th in his master’s divison. But not 69th in the Southeast Region–69th in the world. By an order of magnitude, he achieved the best worldwide finish of any athlete at CFI, and perhaps any athlete in our area.
Finally, we have Eric Carmody. Everyone expected Eric to set the leaderboard on fire, and he did not disappoint us. But one major disappointment lay in wait for him. Before the Open began Eric joined the National Guard and received a ship date for boot camp of March 18th. He would not be able to complete WOD 12.5 and finish the Open. Knowing this before the Open began, he decided to still give his all for four WODs to help send his team to regionals. Eric’s performance also proved that he deserved to be at Regionals as an individual competitor, even if he would not be able to go. Entering the last WOD, for which he would not be able to submit a score, Eric sat comfortably at #36 in the Southeast. I have no doubt he would be on the field at West Palm Beach next month were the military a teency bit more flexible.
I am incredibly proud of all our athletes. You ascended to new heights during the Open, and have much to be proud of. Below you can find the final placement for each CFI athlete that completed all five weeks of the Open.
What did you like about the Open? What did you dislike? Let us know in the comments!
The masters 45-49 division contained 1245 men and 809 women worldwide. The masters 55-59 division contained 350 men worldwide.