The Masters Games aren’t just a celebration of fitness — they’re a celebration of longevity.
And impressive feats of strength, skill, and endurance will be on display at the 2024 Masters CrossFit Games in Birmingham, AL, from August 29 to September 1.
“The masters are like the (NCAA) D3 athletes. They’re doing it for the love of the game,” Scott Panchik said last year while competing in the 35-39 division for the first time.
While this is true, they are also striving to earn the title of “Fittest on Earth” in their respective age groups.
Let’s take a look at some of the athletes to watch this weekend.
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35-39, Men’s Division
Will Moorad won the Age Group Semifinal, finishing all four events in the top eight. However, he had to withdraw from the North America East Semifinal due to a hip injury, which he sustained in Event 2.
- If he is at full strength, the five-time individual Games athlete is the favorite to stand on top of the podium.
Bronislaw Olenkowicz, a.k.a. “Big Bron,” is also bound to put on a show in Birmingham.
He placed 26th at the 2023 CrossFit Games as an individual and 42nd in 2019. After finishing in sixth in the Age Group Semifinal this year, he placed 20th as an individual in Europe.
It’s worth noting that Olenkowicz won the snatch ladder at the Europe Semifinal by French Throwdown, so you can look for him to repeat that in Event Four this weekend.
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Chase Smith is another athlete who qualified for both the age group and individual Semifinals this year, finishing second to Will Moorad in the 35-39 Age Group Semifinals.
Also, don’t sleep on Ruan Duvenage, the fourth-place finisher at the Africa Semifinal; Games veteran Elijah Muhammad; or Kyle Ruth, the Coach and Director of Education for Training Think Tank.
35-39, Women’s Division
Emilia Lepänen from Finland won the Age Group Semifinals with one event win and 44 total points. She has three years of Games experience, having competed in 2019 and 2021 and on a team in 2022.
Tammy Gyorkos has Games experience, too, having competed on team CrossFit Westchase Red in 2022. She finished second in the Age Group Semifinal and also snagged a Semifinal workout win.
Watch out for Games veterans Mekenzie Riley, China Cho, and Jaime Hagiya, a fan-favorite competitor who threw down at the North America West Semifinal by West Coast Classic this spring.
40-44, Men’s Division
Two-time champ Rudy Berger has a habit of winning.
- He is coached by his wife, Lynette, and mentored by CrossFit legend Scott Panchik.
Berger is the favorite to three-peat and will likely have one of the largest cheering sections from his home gym, Chalkdust CrossFit.
Julian Serna, out of Colombia, won the online Semifinal over Berger and is new to the 40-44 division. He made it to the Games in 2018 on a team and could push for the title this year.
On Serna’s Games profile is a single line: “I’m old and for that reason I like Matlock!!!!” Respect.
Before taking last season off, Alexandre Jolivet had made the Games five years straight in the Age Group divisons, including three podium finishes (one second and two third-place finishes).
This will be the Canadian’s last year in the 40-44 division before aging up.
Also, watch out for Peak 360 owner and Games veteran Guido Trinidad, 2023’s sixth-place finisher Chicho Quesada, and reigning IF3 World Champion from Sweden David Santa Cruz Borgstrand.
40-44 Women’s Division
Andreia Pinheiro finished second to legend Sam Briggs in 2023.
- The 41-year-old from Brazil will be the only athlete to qualify for and compete in both the individual CrossFit Games and the Masters CrossFit Games in the same season.
She is only three weeks removed from the CrossFit Games in Fort Worth.
Alethea Boon provided one of the most memorable moments from the Oceania Semifinal by Torian Pro back in May during the snatch ladder event. The 40-year-old has six CrossFit Games appearances (one on a team, three as an individual, and two as an Age Group athlete).
She finished just two points behind Pinheiro in Semifinals.
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Also, keep an eye on five-time Games veteran Carleen Mathews and the most prolific CrossFit Games competitor, Rebecca Voigt Miller.
Every year since 2008, Voight Miller’s name has been called. While she hasn’t claimed the title of Fittest on Earth, she has gotten extremely close. She has podiumed four times as a Master’s athlete and once as an individual in 2011. She finished 15th in the online Semifinal this year, but her experience in live competitions should propel her toward the top of the leaderboard.
Worth noting: Last year’s winner, Sam Briggs, did not compete in the 2024 season due to injury. This leaves the door open for one of these women to become champion.
45-49 Men’s Division
If you follow the Masters at all, you know Jason Grubb. And at age 48, he is looking for his unprecedented fifth straight title.
Grubb has become a major voice for the Masters community, and while he placed second in Semifinals, he is still the favorite in a very strong division.
Caine Hayes bested Grubb in the Semifinals, and is new to the division this year. The Australian has second, third, and fifth-place finishes to his name in the 40-44 division. He should battle Grubb for the top spot.
Another athlete to watch is Robby McCord, who rounded out the top three in Semifinals, after winning the Quarterfinals. Also, Nuno Costa, a former team athlete, won the Affiliate Cup in 2014 as part of CrossFit Invictus and could be a challenger for a podium spot. Other notables include David Johnston, Robbie Perovich, and Heath Moody.
45-49 Women’s Division
Kelly Friel is going for her fourth consecutive championship.
She won the 40-44 division in 2021 and 2022 after placing second the previous two years. She then won the 45-49 division last year.
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Val Voboril has plenty of experience at the highest level of the sport. She is a six-time Games athlete and placed third in 2010 and 2013. This is Voboril’s first Games as a Masters athlete, but she hasn’t competed at all since 2017, when she was 38.
Deanna Posey enters the Games in the top qualifying spot after winning the online Semifinal by placing in the top five in all four events.
50-54 Men’s Division
Joel Hughes took first place in the Age Group Semifinal, winning the final workout.
- He has Games (and podium) experience, having taken first place in the 45-49 division in 2019.
Then again, second-place Semifinal finisher Justin Lasala also has an impressive Games resume.
He has competed every year since 2017 as a Masters athlete, standing on the podium twice in 2019 (in second place) and 2021, (in third place.) This will be his first year competing in this age group.
Eric Smith is back competing after taking sixth place with a severely sprained ankle at the 2023 CrossFit Games.
50-54 Women’s Division
Filareti Xanthoudaki from Greece was this year’s 50-54 Age Group Semifinal winner. She competed at the Games in 2021, taking 15th place in the 45-49 division that year.
Gymnastics master Pamela Gagnon is competing for her fourth time at the Games and the first time in this division.
Her last appearance was in 2017, so fans are anxious to watch her step on the competition floor once again after a six-year absence.
55-59 Men’s Division
With four Games appearances under his belt, Semifinal winner Leonardo Wernersbach Lima from Brazil is a likely pick for the top of the podium.
- Lima took second place last year in this division and is ready to climb to the top of the podium in 2024.
Another seasoned Games veteran, Albert Police will be making his fourth appearance, but after a six-year absence. Police last competed at the Games in 2017, where he finished in 8th place in the 50-54 division. He trains out of CrossFit Allstar in Hawaii.
55-59 Women’s Division
Canadian athlete and perennial Games competitor Joyanne Cooper is looking to top the podium after taking second place in 2021 and third place in 2019. She took first in the Age Group Semifinal and has been competing since 2013.
Don’t sleep on Tia Vesser or Cherianne Benoit — they finished in second and third place during the North America West Semifinals, respectively. Vesser trains out of CrossFit Coeur d’Alene in Idaho and Benoit trains out of CrossFit Invictus Everest Park in Washington.
60-64 Men’s Division
This will be Joe Ames’ fourth trip to the Games after a five-year hiatus. He last competed in 2019, where he won the 55-59 division. However, that wasn’t his first time on top of the podium. He also won the 50-54 division in 2015.
There are nine Games appearances between veterans Allen Duarte and Patrick McCarty.
They finished Semifinals in second and third place, respectively, and are likely podium contenders.
60-64 Women’s Division
Canadian Laurie Meschishnick has been competing at the Games since 2011.
This will be her tenth year competing, having won twice in 2019 and 2021, and having taken a podium spot four additional times. Last year, the athlete out of CrossFit Ashlar finished in third place in the 55-59 division.
Another prolific Games athlete, Linda Elstun, will be making her 10th trip to the Games, having begun her competitive career in 2012. She took second in the Age Group Semifinals and will be tough competition for Meschishnick this weekend.
65+ Men’s Division
Tom Muhlbeier, David Hippensteel, and Tom De Nolf are all names to watch, as they will most likely be at the top of the leaderboard. All three men have Games experience and topped the Semifinal leaderboard, with Muhlbeier in first, Hippensteel in second, and De Nolf in third.
65+ Women’s Division
The top three Semifinals athletes, Patricia McGill, Pauline Sciascia, and Dava Jensen, all have Games experience.
Representing three different countries, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States, respectively, the three women will be in a close battle all weekend. McGill has the slight advantage, as she is the reigning champion of the 65+ division, topping the podium last year.
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