Experts and Athletes Predict the 2020 CrossFit Games Finals

Editors Note: The 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games are live. Check out the latest results and scores from the Games here.

Now that some of the 2020 CrossFit Games Finals Events are being disclosed, it’s becoming easier to see which athletes might thrive and which athletes might struggle at The Ranch in Aromas, CA. We circled back with Armen Hammer on his predictions, as well as two of our favorite friendly Canadians to see how they’re tossing the dice for this weekend: Samuel Cournoyer and Patrick Vellner.

Samuel Cournoyer’s CrossFit Finals Picks

Canadian CrossFit athlete Samuel Cournoyer did well in the 2019 CrossFit season. After placing ninth overall and second in Canada during the 2019 CrossFit Open, Cournoyer headed to the 2019 CrossFit Games in Madison, WI, where he placed 35th, getting cut after the Sprint Couplet.

This year Cournoyer tried his hand at the CrossFit Games again. And although he didn’t pass the blue line during the CrossFit Games Stage One, Cournoyer reminded us of his potential, coming in just ten points behind fellow Canadian, Pat Vellner.

Even though Sam won’t be heading to The Ranch in Aromas, CA this week to compete at the 2020 CrossFit Games with the Final Five, he thinks he might have an idea of how the podium might look at the end of the weekend.

1. Mat Fraser
2. Noah Ohlsen
3. Jeffrey Adler
4. Justin Medeiros
5. Sam Kwant

1. Tia-Clair Toomey
2. Haley Adams
3. Brooke Wells
4. Katrin Davidsdottir
5. Kari Pearce

Patrick Vellner’s CrossFit Finals Picks

Perennial fan favorite and fellow Canadian Pat Vellner also threw his predictions in the hat, with a few shifts. Not surprisingly, Sam and Pat both predicted Mat Fraser and Tia-Clair Toomey at the top once again. But Vellner, who was gunning to be one of the Final Five himself but came in 9th with 405 points in the 2020 CrossFit Games Stage One, offered the following predictions.

1. Mat Fraser
2. Justin Medeiros
3. Noah Ohlsen
4. Jeffrey Adler
5. Sam Kwant

1. Tia-Clair Toomey
2. Katrin Davidsdottir
3. Brooke Wells
4. Haley Adams
5. Kari Pearce

Armen Hammer’s CrossFit Finals Picks

And if there is anyone fit to make podium predictions, it’s athlete, former affiliate owner, writer, editor, YouTube vlogger and CrossFit commentator Armen Hammer. Here are Armen’s predictions for the 2020 CrossFit Games podium.

1. Mat Fraser
2. Justin Medeiros
3. Noah Ohlsen

Armen told me, “Mat Fraser is primed to win his fifth title in a row and the field isn’t deep enough to stop him from doing it. Justin Medeiros is an absolute monster of a rookie and I think he will shine in the small field at the finals. Noah Ohlsen is always good for a podium run and this year is no different, especially since he’s competed at the Ranch in the past and has grown a ton as an athlete since then.”

1. Tia-Clair Toomey
2. Katrin Davidsdottir
3. Haley Adams

“Tia-Clair Toomey is probably the fittest creature to ever walk the face of the Earth and it would take a disaster of Biblical proportions to stop her from taking first overall,” Armen said.

“Katrin Davidsdottir had a bad year in 2019, but was on the podium in 2018 with some really key wins over Tia in some events. I was confident she’d make the final five (which she did) and I’m confident she’s got another podium finish in her in the finals. My final podium spot on the women’s side goes to Haley Adams because while she won’t be winning any 1RM events, she is more likely to beat the field at all the running, odd object, and capacity work that takes place outside of the 1RM events.”

Which prediction will be right? We’ll soon find out. The CrossFit Games start this week, kicking off with a Day One that we saw back at the CrossFit Games in 2007. BarBend will be covering the CrossFit Games while we all wait to see if Mat Fraser and Tia-Clair Toomey defend their title and set record-breaking streaks for consecutive wins.

Featured image: @scournoyer95 on Instagram