Last weekend, fans of the CrossFit Games season experienced the busiest competition schedule in recent memory, with four concurrent In-Person Qualifying Events (IPQEs) taking place. If you missed the action from Brisbane, Australia, to Knoxville, TN, we’ve got you covered below.
- At this stage of the season, we now know 27 out of 30 athletes in both the men’s and women’s fields at the 2025 CrossFit Games. There is one final IPQE next weekend, the Northern California Classic, and the online Last Chance Qualifier later this month.
8 Takeaways From “Super Semis” Weekend
Tia Closes a Chapter
In an emotional post-event interview, Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr reflected on how the Torian Pro launched her career with a win in 2015.
Ten years later, she’s still at the top.
- She won five out of six events and placed second in the other, completing a decade of dominance down under.
Whether or not she competes for her eighth title in Albany (which she will), this is far from the end of her athletic journey.
Next, she will head to Chicago for the HYROX Doubles World Championship with teammate Joanna Wietrzyk, after the duo qualified by breaking the world record. She will then have six weeks to prepare for the Games.
Six More Rookies Step Up
Of the 12 tickets awarded for the CrossFit Games last weekend, half went to newcomers.
- Ty Jenkins, Toby Buckland, Isaac Newman, and Morteza Sedaghat took them for the men.
- Christina Livaditakis and Mariana Meza qualified for the women.
This brings the rookie count for the 2025 CrossFit Games to 15 (nine women and six men), with six spots remaining.
Brooke Earns Number 10
Brooke Wells was in a qualifying position when the In-Affiliate Semifinals leaderboard closed, but public video reviews sparked a wave of criticism.
- After the penalties, Wells dropped down the leaderboard and out of contention.
She didn’t have to wait long for her redemption, achieving it with a convincing win at the Syndicate Crown. With nine Games appearances under her belt, including in 2020 when she was one of only five women to advance to the finals, she officially heads to the Games for her 10th time.
Her double-digit qualification places her in elite company alongside Annie Thorisdottir, Ben Smith, Katrin Davidsdottir, Noah Ohlsen, and other CrossFit legends.
Knoxville Nail-Biter
With four events completed and two remaining, the men’s leaderboard at Syndicate Crown was filled with drama.
- Ty Jenkins and Jack Rozema were tied for first place.
- George Sterner and Luke Parker were tied for third, just three points behind.
- Rozema and Parker would end in a tie for second, with Jenkins taking the top spot.
That makes three ties (and one Ty) with four men vying for two tickets. Rozema won the tie-breaker against Parker and narrowly secured his second consecutive ticket to the Games.
- Spencer Panchik was already out of contention after the first three events but surged from outside the top 10 all the way to fourth place with three consecutive event wins to finish out the weekend.
On the women’s side, Brooke Wells took the lead in the second event and never looked back.
Thus, the race was for the second ticket to the Games. Lexi Neely faced a 21-point deficit behind Reese Littlewood heading into the final workout and needed to take a risk.
She came out swinging and held on to win the event. With some help from the other competitors, the 22-year-old is heading back to the Games for the second time.
Backfills in Brisbane
The men’s podium at the Torian Pro featured three stars: Ricky Garard, Jay Crouch, and Gui Malheiros.
Back in March, Malheiros decided that while he would complete the Open, he would skip the CrossFit season. With his third-place finish at the Torian Pro, Malheiros secured his spot at the Games. Similar to Elisa Fuliano, Gui demonstrated that he belongs among the best in the world.
Since Garard and Crouch already had their tickets, along with Malheiros’ ineligibility, the Games invitations were extended to the fourth and fifth places, awarding the spots to Peter Ellis and rookie Isaac Newman.
Legends in Action
Ben Smith and Sara Sigmundsdottir have a combined total of 17 CrossFit Games appearances (in the Individual Division) and six podium finishes between them in the last decade.
While Sigmundsdottir has faced injuries and health issues that have limited her performance, she has consistently demonstrated her passion for competing, as evident on the floor.
- She won four of the nine events at the Rebel Renegade Games. The competition was tight among the top four women; however, a 15th-place finish in a run-heavy event made her ticket to the Games unattainable. She finished third overall on the podium.
Smith arrived at the Syndicate Crown as the wily veteran.
Now 35 years old, he is in the Masters Division and is far removed from his days as a professional athlete. Yet, he still managed to secure a top-10 finish at the highly competitive North America East regional event.
Rebels With a Cause
Two new athletes are headed to the CrossFit Games from the Rebel Renegade Games in South Africa. Toby Buckland, originally from the UK and now training in the UAE, made the most of his “Golden Ticket” invite.
Christina Livaditakis has finally broken through after finishing second, fourth, and second in the previous three years in Africa. She secured her spot with unmatched consistency, never finishing lower than third across nine events, surpassing Evie Hollis and Sara Sigmundsdottir.
Meza and Morteza Punch Tickets in Asia
Mariana Meza made the trip from Mexico to Korea – and made it count.
She went toe-to-toe with Games vets Seher Kaya, Dawon Jung, and Seung Yeon Choi, ultimately punching her ticket with a second-place finish behind Choi, who had already locked up her spot at the French Throwdown.
On the men’s side, Iran’s Morteza Sedaghat earned his second Games invite.
He’s still technically a rookie, however, since visa issues kept him from competing in 2023. If those problems persist, Portugal’s Tiago Luzes is next in line.
More CrossFit Stories
- A Competition for Good: Dewey Beach Championship Gives Back
- After Eight Years of Almost: Anikha Greer Finally Qualifies for the CrossFit Games
- 2025 CrossFit Games Roster – Who Has Qualified So Far?
Featured Image: @_zeus.photography_ / Instagram
