JST Compete saved themselves from the danger zone with an emphatic victory on the opening event of day two at the CrossFit Games. The four-person team were sitting 13th overall, two places below the cut-off line as teams started today.
The teams had to complete a 6km run, but every 1.5km, they had to add more weight to their rucksack. The team members had to hold a 10ft rope through the race, to add to the challenge.
JST Compete - Helena Collins, Jak Cornthwaite, Jayne Eadie, Steven Fawcett, Benjamin Massey - set out at a blistering pace and immediately opened a lead. By the end of the second lap, they were 30 seconds ahead of the competition.
“It looks to me as though their leads is just growing,” the commentator said. “It’s too big to close.”
JST Compete were looking over their shoulders towards the end, but need not have worried as they cruised to first.
“After yesterday we were just praying for some long distance running,” Benjamin Massey said. “The plan was to go out quite hard on the first two laps and then ease off.”
Meanwhile, overall leaders Mayhem Freedom languished further down the pack and finished fifth. Despite winning the opening two events, and coming second in the third event, they were never in the race during the Ruck. It is not surprising, given even their star man Rich Froning has proven running is not his strong suit: in 2014, even as he won his fourth consecutive ‘Fittest man on Earth’ title in the individual competition, Froning had to walk during a three mile running event, as others breezed passed him.
Event four- Ruck
- 6km ruck run consisting of four 1.5km laps
- Each lap teams add two 7lb bags and two 10lb bags, distributed how they choose
- Team members must all hold on to a 10ft length of rope for the entire run
- Women start with 15lb, men with 20lb
Day one, completed
Rich Froning’s Mayhem Freedom showed why they were multiple-time champions on day one of the CrossFit Games 2019 as they collected almost all the points on offer in day one. They breezed to victory in event one and event two, showing teamwork and communication in rope climbs and sledge pushes. They finished second in event three.
Teams completed the second and third workouts without a break to conclude day one. During event two, the teams had to complete of seven synchronized rope climbs, 42 worm thrusters, five syncronised rope climbs, 30 worm thrusters, three synchronized rope climbs and 18 worm thrusters. They had an 18-minute cut-off.
Mayhem Freedom then carried their form into the third event, clean and jerks, grabbing 293 of 300 available points on day one. They are followed in the standings by Central Beasts and CrossFit Krypton.
After the third event, Mayhem Freedom team member Tasia Percevecz said the hot sun of Madison didn’t bother them too much.
“We’re feeling pretty good, we do a lot of training with volume normally, so its a good day,” she said.
Fellow teammate Chyna Cho echoed Percevecz’s statement, noting they are excited for day two.
“I actually think I do a little better tired and I think I speak for all my teammates.”
Earlier in the day the first team workout was three rounds of: air bike calories (18 calories for women, 25 for men), 30 toes-to-bar and the Big Bob push, where they all have to push a huge metal sledge together. There is a time cap of 17 minutes.
To no one’s surprise, defending champions Mayhem Freedom took the top spot after the first event and locked in 100 points. They won the second heat in a time of 15 minutes 55 seconds 92 millisecond. Mayhem Freedom qualified for the CrossFit Games via the Asia CrossFit Championship in Shanghai in April. Froning said the two women on his team – Chyna Cho, Tasia Percevecz – were leading the way ahead of himself and Dre Strohm.
“We were trying not to let the girls down because they were finishing before us,” said Froning. “We get along great, everyone communicates really well.”
The first heat was won by X-Terminators, who took second overall. They were neck and neck with Dubai team CrossFit Alioth through the first two rounds. Both teams finished their second Big Bob push in almost exactly 10 minutes. But on the final round X-Terminators began to pull away and finish in 16:25.03. Alitoh crossed the line seconds later. They were the only two teams to make it through the first heat.
Team Event Two and Three announced
Team Event Two - Rope Worm
For time:
- Seven synchro rope climbs
- 42 Worm thrusters
- 5 synchro rope climbs
- 30 Worm thrusters
- Three synchro rope climbs
- 18 Worm thrusters
Order: all at once
Time cap: 18 minutes
Team Event Three - Clean and Jerk
Team Event three will begin two minutes after the start of Team Event Two.
- One-rep-max clean and jerk
Order: any, with one athlete lifting at a time
Time cap: seven minutes
