2020 CrossFit Games Online Stage: Event 1 and 2 Recap

Rejoice! The first official results of the 2020 CrossFit Games are live and it has some huge surprises after two events with another two events on deck this afternoon. We dive into the results of “Friendly Fran” and the one-rep max front squat for both the men and women’s division as they fight for a top-five finish and a trip to the Ranch.

Women’s Division: CrossFit Calfkiller in Sparta, TN has all eyes on Tia-Clair Toomey as she brought training partner Mathew Fraser to the location of her legendary 2020 Rogue Invitational victory to start their 2020 championship quest. Her winning continued in that location as she dominated the opening two events of the Games. She finished nine seconds ahead of fellow Aussie Kara Saunder for the win in “Friendly Fran” before front squatting 313 poundsto take event two. The wins give her a 12-point lead over Saunders.

• Saunders coupled her second place in the opening event with a third place in the front squat with a lift of 294 pounds. She looks to be back to the 2017 version of herself who battled Toomey at that year’s Games. She and Toomey where the only women to finish “Friendly Fran” under 4:00.
• Kristine Best is proving she belongs as the 30-year old Games rookie is the early surprise on the leaderboard sitting in third place with a pair of top-ten finishes. She placed fourth in “Friendly Fran” with a time of 4:33 before lifting 283 pounds in her front squat to take seventh. She currently holds a 12-point lead over Kristi Eramo O’Connell.
• O’Connell placed sixth in the opening event and eighth in the front squat with a lift of 281 pounds.
• Brooke Wells currently holds onto the final spot for the Ranch. She placed third in “Friendly Fran” with a time of 4:28 and then lifted 275 pounds in the front squat to tie for ninth but due to the body weight tie-breaker, actually finished 12th.
• Argentinian Melina Rodriguez is just eight points behind Wells for the final spot for the Ranch. She placed eighth in “Friendly Fran” and won the tie-breaker in the front squat between her and three other athletes at 275 pounds to finish ninth in the event.
• Jamie Simmonds, Andrea Nisler, Amanda Barnhart and Dani Speegle round out the top-ten.
• Outside the top-ten in 11th is New Zealander Laura Clifton who joined Toomey as one of two women who lifted over 300 pounds in the front squat. She placed second with a lift of 302 pounds.
• The biggest surprise in the leaderboard is Sara Sigmundsdottir, who sits in 26th place. One more finish outside the top-15 could eliminate her from a chance of finishing in the top-five.
• Other notable names that are in the bottom half of the leaderboard include Laura Horvath (19th), Katrin Davidsdottir (22nd), Bethany Shadburne (23rd), Sam Briggs (24th) and Danielle Brandon (25th).