Editors Note: The 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games are live. Check out the latest results and scores from the Games here.
After a photo finish in Sprint Sled Sprint between Samuel Kwant and the men’s overall leader Mathew Fraser, it was Fraser again who prevailed in the final event of the day — Atalanta — for his tenth event win of the Finals.
The final event was a showcase for Kari Pearce who finished the event first among all 10 competitors. Pearce also earned her first Games podium finish and effectively ended the American women’s podium drought.
Here are the details — which were kept secret until an hour before the event took place — of Atalanta, inspired by the Hero WODs “Murph” and “Cindy.”
For time, while wearing a weight vest:
- One mile run
- 100 handstand push-ups
- 200 single-leg squats
- 300 pull-ups
- One mile run
Women: 14-pound vest / Men: 20-pound vest
Atalanta Women’s Results
- Kari Pearce, 47:56.68
- Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir, 49:09.96
- Tia-Clair Toomey, 51:46.72
- Haley Adams, 52:56.60
- Brooke Wells, 1:00:19.01
Atalanta Men’s Results
- Mat Fraser, 51:46.66
- Noah Ohlsen, 52:24.75
- Justin Medeiros, 53:18.87
- Jeffrey Adler, 57:28.45
- Samuel Kwant, 1:05:39.80
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[Related: 2020 CrossFit Games Finals Results and Leaderboard]
Atalanta Highlights
All ten athletes performed Atalanta in the same heat. In a press conference at the end of day two, Noah Ohlsen told BarBend that he hoped to see pistol squats in the final event of the Games — he got that and then some. All the athletes seemed to pace themselves in the opening run. The exception was Haley Adams, who took a large lead over Pearce, who had a sizeable herself lead over the rest of the field.
Pearce, who needed to best Adams by two ranks in this event to clinch a spot on the podium, finished a full 50-rep block of pistol squats ahead of the field. Fraser held the lead for the men heading into the pistols. Who knows, maybe it was the ice he dumped into his bucket hat that helped him lead (or maybe he’s just a champion). He and Toomey, who were in adjacent lanes, communicated and kept the same pace throughout the event despite competing in different divisions.
The pull-ups proved to be an absolute grind for each competitor. Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir made her move in the final 100 pull-ups to get within 10 reps of Pearce. It wasn’t enough, however, as Pearce darted through the final run to secure 100 points and leapfrog herself into third place overall. Toomey finished third behind Davíðsdóttir.
Ohlsen claimed the lead from Fraser heading into the final run, but he didn’t have enough gas in the tank to hold off the defending champion from taking the lead back. Fraser secured his 29th career CrossFit Games event win. Kwant finished last in the event out of all 10 athletes, but his second-place position overall coming into the event held.
The Fittest Remain The Fittest
Fraser and Toomey retain their titles as the Fittest Man and Woman on Earth® for the record fifth and fourth time, respectively. Their Finals performances were nothing short of spectacular as they extended their historic leads on CrossFit Games event wins — Fraser with 29 and Toomey with 24. They are legends of the sport.
Feature image via Kari Pearce’s Instagram page: @karipearcecrossfit
