Fraser and Davíðsdóttir Win the Ranch Loop at 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.
During day one of the 2020 CrossFit Games Finals, athletes tested their one-rep maxes, completed 85 reps of push presses and muscle-ups, and sprinted 320-meters up a hill while carrying corn sacks. Despite their Herculean efforts, Dave Castro still showed no mercy during the fifth and final event of the day — the Ranch Loop. What was announced as a five-kilometer (three-mile) trail run took a simple yet devastating turn — an extra lap.
It was Mat Fraser and Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir who pulled off the win, but it wasn’t without a struggle. Here’s how the athletes placed:
Ranch Loop Men’s Results:
- Mathew Fraser, 57:47
- Justin Medeiros, 58:17
- Noah Ohlsen, 59:11
- Jeffrey Adler, 1:00:17
- Samuel Kwant, 1:10:11
Ranch Loop Women’s Results:
- Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir, 1:00:53
- Haley Adams, 1:02:16
- Tia-Clair Toomey, 1:06:09
- Kari Pearce, 1:07:07
- Brooke Wells, 1:14:34
Ranch Loop Highlights
With Medeiros stalking him, Fraser barreled towards Dave Castro as the three-mile race came to a close. His fourth first-place finish of the day was within striking distance. He pumped his arms; sweat leaked from his shaven head and painted the air like a Jackson Pollock.
As his foot crossed the finish line, Castro placed a hand on Fraser’s shoulder and guided him around a blockade back out the way he came. Fraser, who instantly realized that he was only halfway done with the event, flipped the Games Director the bird. Then he kept running.
As Fraser and Medeiros headed back up the hill they just conquered — their hands rhythmically pressing into their thighs to assist the ascent up the 55% grade — Jeffrey Adler passed them. You can see the moment that the Canadian realizes why his fellow competitors are walking toward him and not away. He was crushed.
Amazingly, Fraser maintained his lead to claim his fourth first-place finish of the day. During Stage One of the Games, Fraser set a record for most Games events won with 19. Now that number is at 23.
Meanwhile, Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir pulled off a first-place win to kick-off what could be a storied comeback on day two of the Games (Oct. 24, 2020). After the race, she expressed the twisted joy she derives from Castro’s menacing twists in the post-event interview.
I’m a great runner, and I love twists like that. If it’s hard for me, then it’s hard for them.
Behind her was Haley Adams, and then Tia-Clair Toomey, who is still in the lead over Adams by 75 points. Compared to her teammate Fraser — who is leading the men by 220 points — her lead is slowly slipping.
On to the Next Day
Day two of the 2020 CrossFit Games Finals will start tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. PST. You can check out our full leaderboard for updates. As of this writing, there are five events scheduled for Oct. 24, 2020. Learn more about what the competitors can expect tomorrow by reading our events page.
Feature image: @crossfitgames on Instagram