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2024 CrossFit Games North America West Semifinal Preview: How To Watch, Rosters, and Schedule

May 22, 2024 by Julia Papworth

The 2024 CrossFit Games North America West Semifinal by West Coast Classic will take over Carson, CA, from May 24-26 as competition returns to the hallowed ground of the “tennis stadium” at Dignity Health Sports Park (formerly known as the StubHub Center).

The top 40 men and 40 women in the region will compete for a spot at the CrossFit Games in Fort Worth, TX, from August 8-11. Of that field, only the top nine men and eight women will qualify and advance.

The number of available qualifying spots for women dropped this season — 10 qualified from North America West in 2023 — so the race will be extra tight. You can keep up with the action by checking in on our leaderboard. And below, you’ll find a preview of what to expect from the competition.

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A post shared by Alex 🙂 (@alexgazan_)

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Top 10 Men and Women, Ranked by Quarterfinals Finish

  • 1. Justin Medeiros | Alex Gazan
  • 2. Brandon Luckett | Abigail Domit
  • 3. Samuel Kwant | Emily Rolfe
  • 4. Cole Greashaber | Arielle Loewen
  • 5. Zachery Buntin | Rebecca Fuselier
  • 6. Tudor Magda | Hattie Kanyo
  • 7. Brent Fikowski | Gabrielle Spenst
  • 8 James Sprague | Devyn Kim
  • 9. Colten Mertens | Olivia Kerstetter
  • 10. Cole Sager | Nicole Mghenyi

Men’s Division

Favorites

Justin Medeiros: The 2021 and 2022 CrossFit Games champ had a rough go of it in 2023, finishing the first event, “Ride,” in 29th on the heels of two crashes. He followed that up with a 37th-place finish in the second event, “The Pig Chipper.” 

It wasn’t all bad news for Medeiros, as he also battled for some solid finishes during the 2023 Games weekend. This included a second-place spot in the “Inverted Medley” and two third-place results in “Ski-Bag” and the “Echo Thruster Final.” He ultimately climbed up to 13th. 

The programming at North America West matches up well with Medeiros’ classic CrossFit strengths, and he should be able to move the heavier barbells at Semifinals. (For reference, Medeiros put up a 272-pound snatch and a 335-pound clean and jerk at the 2023 Games.)

With that in mind, look for Medeiros to show that 2023 was a fluke and again earn a spot atop the podium.

Pat Vellner: “The Ghost,” “Patty V,” “Uncle Pat” — he goes by a lot of names, but the “King in the North” also has a reputation of being the king of digging himself into an early hole in competition. 

It’s possible he got it out of his system early this season, as some deductions from his Quarterfinal workouts dropped Vellner down significantly on the leaderboard. He finished in 22nd place overall, which will keep him out of the stacked final heat of men (at least for the start of the weekend.)

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A post shared by Patrick Vellner (@pvellner)

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  • Don’t worry — Vellner took the opportunity to talk a little trash on Instagram: “Video reviews got me down but not out. Disappointed in the penalty but glad to still be in it. See you all on the real field of play in Carson. I hope the…fellas in heat 4 enjoy their one free day without me!”

The good news for Vellner is that he’s never finished lower than second at a Semifinal. And if he does qualify for the games, it will be his 10th trip to the big show.

Brent Fikowski: Another vet expected to qualify this year, Brent Fikowski is chasing his ninth qualification to the CrossFit Games.

  • Before CrossFit transitioned to the Semifinals format in 2021, Fikowski dominated the West Regional, finishing in first place from 2016 to 2018.

Fikowski came in second place behind Vellner at the 2023 North America West Semifinal and was the classic model of consistency, with only two finishes outside the top five.

Other solid bets to punch a Games ticket: Samuel Kwant, Colten Mertens, and Cole Sager.

On the Bubble

Brandon Luckett: Luckett comes into North America West ranked second on the back of his Quarterfinals performance, but he is far from a shoo-in for a Games ticket. 

  • Luckett competed as an individual in 2018, 2020, and 2021 and was on a team that took 11th at the Games in 2023 (CrossFit Franco’s MisFits).

The return to the classic CrossFit programming fits Luckett well, as it could play well to his consistency, allowing him to return to the Games as an individual.

Dark Horses

Sam Dancer: The colorful Dancer returns to the Individual division after taking the top spot in the 35-39 Men’s division in 2023. And he’s called his shot this year: He wants to be the oldest man to qualify for the Games as an Individual.

  • Dancer’s strength has never been an issue, so expect him to excel at the barbell and machines. However, if he hopes to grab a qualifying spot, he will need some damage control early in the competition when the programming favors endurance and gymnastics movements.
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Scott Tetlow: Tetlow was eight spots outside of qualifying last season and had a weekend full of extreme highs (three finishes of eighth or better, including an event win) and extreme lows (three finishes of 40th or worse).

  • If he can perform at a more even keel this year, with some heavy hitters missing this season in his region, he could eke out a qualifying spot.

Women’s Division

Favorites

Alex Gazan: The American standard-bearer for Justin Cotler and Kiefer Lammi’s Underdogs Athletics, Gazan looks to be peaking at just the right time. She’s even strengthened the final puzzle piece in her journey to the podium — her self-confidence. 

With Cotler’s help, Gazan has improved every year of her career and is on the trajectory to repeat her first-place Semifinal finish from last year.

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A post shared by Alex 🙂 (@alexgazan_)

[Related: Best Weightlifting Belts]

  • Her one finish outside the top 15 last year at Semifinals was Event 4, an 800-meter run and max snatch event. However, 175 pounds this year should be moveable for Gazan in the snatch ladder.
  • She finished fifth at the Games last year, earned the “Most Improved” award, and has the podium in sight.

Arielle Loewen: Fan favorite and fittest mom in the world, Arielle Loewen is fresh off her third-place finish at the CrossFit Games last year and has no signs of slowing down.

  • Training in her garage has served her well, so look for Loewen and Gazan to battle it out for the top of the podium. Remember, Loewen finished behind Gazan at North America West last year by only 13 points (Katrin Davidsdottir, out in 2024 due to injury, placed second, two points ahead of Loewen).

Emily Rolfe: The CrossFit Games vet is chasing her fifth ticket to the big show, and with classic CrossFit programming and no overly heavy barbells, the Canadian’s runway is clear. 

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A post shared by Emily Rolfe (@emily_rolfe19)

  • Rolfe is a standout runner who won the “Cross Country 5K” at the Games, finishing in 17:48.62. 
  • Worth noting: Rolfe took down all the women (her closest competitor was Davidsdottir, 32 seconds behind) and about three-quarters of the men’s field. Look for her to have a great start to the weekend with Event 1 — five rounds of an 800-meter run and 10 clean and jerks at 125 pounds.

Dark Horses

Devyn Kim: Several former team athletes are making a run at Individual this year, and Kim is one of them. At the start of the season, it was announced that Kim would return to compete with her Invictus team, but Jessi Smith later replaced her due to a nagging back injury.

  • Kim rehabbed her back enough to finish eighth place in the Quarterfinals in North America West. If her back holds up, we could see Kim debut as an Individual athlete at the Games this year.
  • These are some great workouts for her, and with her running prowess and ability to barbell cycle, she is a sneaky pick to take Event 1.

Kelsey Kiel: Kiel has excelled in the team division throughout her career, qualifying for the CrossFit Games six times. Her last came in 2023 when she and her team finished in eighth place.

  • Kiel has major top-end strength, snatching 205 pounds and hitting a record 265-pound clean jerk in the Olympic Total event at the 2023 Games. Look for her to show off that strength in the snatch ladder.

How to Watch the 2024 CrossFit Games North America West Semifinal

A full slate of coverage will be available across many platforms, including the CrossFit Games website, the CrossFit Games App, Facebook, Twitch, and YouTube. 

  • Follow the West Coast Classic on Instagram. 

2024 CrossFit Games North America West Semifinal Schedule 

All times are listed in Pacific Time and reflect a schedule adjustment from CrossFit to accommodate an LA Galaxy Major League Soccer game on Saturday. See below for conversions to EST and GMT.

Note: All times are local PST (GMT-7) 

Friday, May 24

  • 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m.: Team Event 1
  • 11 a.m.-12 p.m.: Team Event 2
  • 12:45-3:20 p.m.: Individual Event 1
  • 3:35-5:20 p.m.: Team Event 3

Saturday, May 25

  • 8 a.m.-11 a.m.: Individual Event 2
  • 11:20-12:20 p.m.: Team Event 4
  • 1:20-4 p.m.: Individual Event 3
  • 4:15-5:15 p.m.: Team Event 5

Sunday, May 26

  • 9-11:20 a.m.: Individual Event 4
  • 12:20-2:30 p.m.: Individual Event 5
  • 2:45-4:15 p.m.: Individual Event 6

(Podium ceremonies will follow Team Event 5 on Saturday and Individual Event 6 on Sunday.)

Time Zone Conversions: 

  • Eastern Standard Time: 3 hours ahead of Pacific Standard.
    • The competition begins at 12:00 p.m. EST on Friday, May 24.
  • Greenwich Mean Time: 7 hours ahead of Pacific Standard.
    • The competition begins at 4:00 p.m. GMT on Friday, May 24.

More CrossFit Semifinals Coverage

Check out these other stories as we head into the 2024 CrossFit Semifinals:

  • 2024 CrossFit Games Season Prize Purse Revealed, No Increase From 2023
  • 2024 CrossFit Games World Wide Rankings and Strength of Field, Explained
  • Going Back to Cali: CrossFit Competition Returns to Carson for 2024 Semifinals
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