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Competitions

2024 CrossFit Open and Quarterfinals Programming: Was It a Success? 

May 3, 2024 by Scott Freymond

In terms of competitions, the 2024 CrossFit season is halfway done for Individuals. 

We leave the online portion behind and move on to in-person competitions from here. No more blind leaderboards, no more entering scores incorrectly, and no more video reviews. 

CrossFit had a monumental task this year. 

With 25 percent of athletes moving on from the Open, the workouts needed to be exceedingly well thought out to induce a good experience for a wide range of fitness levels. 

So, did they nail it?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Justin Medeiros (@justinmedeiros34)

[Related: Is CrossFit’s Video Review Working? Questions Surround an Uncertain Process]

We are all entitled to our own opinions about the programming, but let’s first look objectively at what we’ve seen so far.

The numbers: Between the Open and Quarterfinals, we’ve seen the fewest number of scored workouts and movements since the inception of the second online stage of competition in 2021.

  • 2021: 9 scores and 26 movements.
  • 2022: 8 scores and 26 movements.
  • 2023: 9 scores and 28 movements.
  • 2024: 7 scores and 20 movements.

Go deeper: Let’s break it down into categories of movements in 2024:

  • Monostructrual: 3 (15 percent)
  • Gymnastics: 10 (50 percent)
  • Weightlifting: 7 (35 percent)

Even with eight fewer movements, the distribution was very similar to 2023:

  • Monostructrual: 5 (18 percent)
  • Gymnastics: 14 (50 percent)
  • Weightlifting: 9 (32 percent)
View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr (@tiaclair1)

[Related: Interview: Katelin Van Zyl Explains How Tech Issues Almost Cost Her a CrossFit Semifinals Spot]

Programming fewer workouts and movements was not an accident or oversight. 

The Games team at HQ made a conscious effort to make this year the most accessible and affiliate-friendly yet. And the omission of floor plans and movements like GHD sit-ups certainly helped accomplish this. 

Stepping it up: Looking at the Open and Quarterfinals from a bird’s-eye view, we can see not only a theme (accessibility) but a progression as well.

Were the Quarterfinals a more advanced version of the Open? 

  • Compare Open Workout 24.1 to IQF Workout 2: The moderate-volume dumbbell snatches became high-volume wall balls. The lateral burpees over the dumbbell became the more taxing lateral burpees over the box.
  • Compare Open Workout 24.2 to IQF Workout 1: The row for set meters became a row for max calories. The lower-skill deadlift became a higher-skill snatch, and double-unders became the more taxing weighted box step-ups.
  • Compare Open Workout 24.3 to IQF Workouts 3 and 4: The thrusters became clean and jerks at progressively heavier weights. The chest-to-bar pull-ups became rope climbs, perhaps less taxing but with higher skill at volume and fatigue. And the bar muscle-ups became higher-skilled ring muscle-ups.

Throw in progressive handstand push-ups (kipping HSPU = upside-down thruster, anyone?), and you’ve got a fairly comprehensive, progressive test. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Roman Khrennikov (@roman_khrennikov)

[Related: Was the 2024 CrossFit Quarterfinals Missing a Strength Test?]

Things to note: While double-unders are considered a more advanced skill than dumbbell box step-ups, the latter is more physically demanding. 

  • The same could be said about chest-to-bar pull-ups vs. rope climbs. 

Looking forward: The 2024 Semifinals workouts have been released, and we can see the progression of the season continue to unfold. Live event workouts can be more creative and include movements that online competitions shy away from. 

  • Handstand walking and lunging, along with the Echo bike and running, are examples this year. 

Eight of the 13 Semifinals movements have been in either the Open or Quarterfinals, but they are now becoming more advanced, higher intensity, or higher volume. Rope climbs are now legless, snatches are now squat snatches, and so on. 

The bottom line: The Open programming was widely viewed as a success, with affiliates able to run a great event for three weeks. With no specific floor plans, the workouts were easier to run as a daily WOD than in previous years. 

The Quarterfinals workouts were programmed in a way that allowed the top 25 percent of athletes from the Open to continue to test themselves. They provided elite athletes the opportunity to separate themselves (penalties notwithstanding) and move on to Semifinals. 

Could they have made things easier by programming box step-overs instead of step-ups? 

Probably. The standard is easier to perform, judge, and review. The penalties given this year in Quarterfinals have ended the seasons of multiple Games-level athletes. But perfection is an illusion, and CrossFit continues to grow and learn along with the community. 

In our humble opinion, the programming up to this point has been a job well done. 

Featured image: Victor Freitas (Unsplash)

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