2024 CrossFit Games North America East Semifinal Preview: How To Watch, Rosters, and Schedule
Three competitions kick off simultaneously during the final weekend of the 2024 CrossFit Semifinals. One of those is the North America East Semifinal by Syndicate Crown, which takes place in Knoxville, TN, from Friday, May 31 to June 2. Head here to check out our live leaderboard of the contest.
The North America East region is arguably the strongest and most competitive, considering the total number of Games invitations allotted to competitors.
Eighty athletes — 40 men and 40 women — will compete for one of the 11 spots in each division and the right to head to the CrossFit Games from August 8-11 in Fort Worth, TX.
Here are the top contenders that we’ll be watching.
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Top 10 Men and Women, Ranked by Quarterfinals Finish
- 1. Jeffrey Adler | Alexis Raptis
- 2. Roman Khrennikov | Emma Lawson
- 3. Austin Hatfield | Danielle Brandon
- 4. Jayson Hopper | Erica Folo
- 5. Dallin Pepper | Haley Adams
- 6. Samuel Cournoyer | Carolyne Prevost
- 7. Benoit Boulanger | Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr
- 8. Jack Rozema | Alaina Savage
- 9. Travis Mayer | Anikha Greer
- 10. Jack Farlow | Feeroozeh Saghafi
Women’s Division
Favorites
Emma Lawson: The Second Fittest Woman on Earth, Emma Lawson, also took first in her region and second place worldwide in Quarterfinals. There’s absolutely no doubt that the young Canadian will shine in Knoxville, and she is an obvious choice as the overall winner.
- In 2023, Lawson took fourth behind Emma Cary, Danielle Brandon, and Amanda Barnhart during Semis. With Cary out this year and Brandon and Barnhard having placed lower than Lawson in Quarterfinals, the top of the podium could be hers.
Danielle Brandon: Trailing Lawson by one place out of Quarterfinals was Danielle Brandon, who took second at the 2023 North America East Semifinal. While there, she earned two event wins and five top-10 finishes.
- Two workouts favor Brandon’s exceptional skills as a gymnast: Event 3 with the legless rope climbs and Event 4 with handstand walks. Brandon will challenge Lawson for the top of the podium and whichever woman doesn’t take it there will likely be elsewhere in second or third.
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Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr: The six-time CrossFit Games champion is most definitely worth noting, as all eyes with be on her to win this Semifinal. After taking the 2023 season off to start a family, she returned to competition at the 2023 Rogue Invitational, narrowly missing the win to Laura Horvath, 2024’s Fittest Woman on Earth.
- Toomey-Orr’s Rogue Invitational performance proved that she is still a contender for the podium in Knoxville and at this year’s CrossFit Games, where most see her as Horvath’s stiffest competitor for the crown.
On the Bubble
Anikha Greer: In a heartbreaking finish, Greer missed out on qualifying at the 2023 North America East Semifinal by one spot. The year before, she missed out due to a technical glitch when inputting her Quarterfinals scores.
- In her region, Greer won the Open and placed ninth in the Quarterfinals. Fans are ready to see the potential Games rookie compete alongside the fittest in Texas.
Haley Adams: Adams is back, much to the excitement of CrossFit fans worldwide. After taking a season off due to personal reasons, Adams returns under the guidance of new coaches, ready to jump back into a full season.
- Since she began competing as an Individual at the CrossFit Games in 2019, Adams has never placed out of the top 10. She won the Syndicate Crown in 2022, and based on her full competition resume, the likelihood is high that she’ll finish in a qualifying position.
Outside Chance
Alaina Savage: Two-time Semifinals competitor Alaina Savage has yet to qualify for the CrossFit Games, although her stats through the years suggest she made major gains in 2024.
- Taking seventh place in the 2024 Quarterfinals in her region was a leap from last year when she finished 25th. At the North America East Semifinal last year, she took home 28th place, but if her Quarterfinals scores are an indicator of Semifinal success, she could be one to squeak into a qualifying spot.
Amanda Barnhart: The six-time Games athlete has made no secret of rehabbing a shoulder injury. While she competed at the Games last year, her 24th-place finish was her lowest finish to date. However, Barnhart has proven her strength as a Semifinal podium contender, as last year, she took third at the North America East Semifinal and second the year before.
- Under the tutelage of the HWPO Training crew, Barnhart shares on social media that she’s feeling like herself again.
Men’s Division
Favorites
Jeffrey Adler: The current Fittest Man on Earth is also a two-time Semifinals champion.
At the North American East Semifinal in 2023, Adler walked away with two event wins and never had a finish out of the top 10. In addition to that, he’s coming off of a worldwide Quarterfinals win and many fans are picking him as the obvious winner of the weekend.
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- Four out of the five men who finished on top at 2023’s North America East Semifinal also finished in the top five in this year’s Quarterfinals. So, while Adler may be the favorite to win, it won’t be an easy road getting there.
Roman Khrennikov: The Third Fittest Man in 2023, Roman Khrennikov, will compete in a North American Semifinal for the second time this year.
Last year, he took fourth place overall, and while he didn’t snag an event win, he wound up with four top-five finishes.
- With a second-place Quarterfinals finish in his region and a fully healed foot, Khrennikov looks to make his way to the podium to dethrone Adler.
On the Bubble
Alexandre Caron: Games veteran Caron is coming off of an 11th-place Quarterfinals finish in his region. Having the experience of a perennial Semifinals athlete will work in his favor, but he is one year removed from Games competition.
- As a reminder, CrossFit event staff removed Caron from competition at the 2023 North America East Semifinal. It was determined that, due to an injury, he was not fit to continue past the first workout. Caron disagreed with the ruling, and many fans were disappointed to see his weekend and season cut short. This year could serve as redemption for the Canadian athlete.
Travis Mayer: The seasoned Games veteran finished in ninth place in this year’s Quarterfinals.
After suffering an injury to his hand at TYR Wodapalooza in 2023, he was left with no choice but to sit out of the 2023 CrossFit Games. Upon recovering, he took home a second-place finish at the Madrid Championship and a sixth-place finish at the Rogue Invitational.
- Although Mayer has had a successful offseason, he is still a year removed from Semifinals and Games competition.
Many fans are hopeful that Mayer will earn one of the 11 available Games spots, making him a nine-time competitor.
Outside Chance
Jack Rozema: Rozema has competed in Semifinals every year, although he has yet to qualify for the Games.
- In 2023, he competed in North America West, so it will be interesting to see if the relocation pays off for the 29-year-old Mayhem athlete this year.
Will Moorad: After taking first place in the 35-39 Age Group Division in the Masters Semifinals, Moorad is attempting to qualify as an Individual.
- At the 2023 North America East Semifinal, Moorad took sixth place, safely qualifying for a spot in Madison.
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If he takes one of the top nine spots at the Syndicate Crown, Moorad will be the first athlete this season to qualify for the Games in two categories, as Bronislaw Olenkowicz missed his shot as an individual by placing 20th at the European Semifinal.
How To Watch the Syndicate Crown
A full slate of coverage will be available across many platforms, including the CrossFit Games website, the CrossFit Games App, Facebook, Twitch, and YouTube.
- Don’t forget to follow Syndicate Crown on Instagram, too.
2024 CrossFit Games North America East Semifinal Schedule
All times are listed in Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-4). See below for conversions to PST and GMT.
Friday, May 31
- 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, June 1
- 9 a.m.-12 p.m.: Individual Event 2
- 12:20-3 p.m.: Team Event 4
- 3:20-4 p.m.: Individual Event 3
- 4:15-5:15 p.m.: Team Event 5
Sunday, June 2
- 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:
- Pacific Daylight Time: Three hours behind Eastern Daylight.
- The competition begins at 6:00 a.m. PDT, Friday, May 31.
- Greenwich Mean Time: Four hours ahead of Eastern Daylight.
- The competition begins at 1:00 p.m. GMT, Friday, May 31.
More CrossFit Semifinals Coverage
Check out these other stories as we head into the 2024 CrossFit Semifinals:
- How to Watch the 2024 CrossFit Games Semifinals
- 2024 CrossFit Games Season Prize Purse Revealed, No Increase From 2023
- 2024 CrossFit Games World Wide Rankings and Strength of Field, Explained
Featured image: Ava Kitzi