Since its inaugural year in 2020, Crash Crucible has become a mainstay of the CrossFit offseason for North American athletes.
Looking back at past leaderboards, the number of future CrossFit Games athletes stands out as the competition solidifies itself as a proving ground for young stars.
It takes years of training for athletes to make the Games, and Crash Crucible provides an opportunity for competitors to test themselves against Semifinals and Games-level athletes.
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From Crash Crucible to the CrossFit Games
To get the full picture of how important Crash Crucible has become, here are some highlights from past years:
2020
In October 2020, a then-unknown Jayson Hopper won the Elite men’s division at the first Crash Crucible.
- Unfortunately, Hopper missed the opportunity to showcase his talents in Sanctionals that year due to the COVID-19 cancelation of the majority of the season.
Seven months after Crash Crucible, however, Hopper shocked the CrossFit world by winning the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge during the first weekend of the Semifinals.
Further down the men’s leaderboard at Crash, in 17th, was Luke Parker, who made his rookie appearance at the CrossFit Games in 2023.
Competing in the 2020 women’s field was Michelle Basnett, who finished third.
- The following year, Basnett won her first of two African Semifinals and made her rookie appearance at the CrossFit Games.
Caroline Stanley was second place, ahead of Basnett on the Crash Crucible podium. It took Stanley a few more years to make the CrossFit Games, but she secured her rookie appearance in 2023. She cracked the top 20 in 2024 with a 17th-place finish.
2021
During the second edition of Crash Crucible, fans had the opportunity to watch Shelby Neal win five out of seven events on her way to earning the overall title.
- In 2023, Neal would be the third Crash Crucible alum to earn their rookie trip to the CrossFit Games that year, where she finished 19th.
Sasha Nievas took third at Crash Crucible in 2021; she had a 31st-place finish at the CrossFit Games two months earlier.
2022
In 2022, Luke Parker showed us he was ready for prime time as he won the competition in his third attempt.
2023
The men’s field in the 2023 edition took a major step up. For the first time in the event’s history, a top-30 athlete from the CrossFit Games was in the field.
- Colten Mertens, fresh off his third trip to the Games, won the final four events en route to his second-place finish.
- In fourth place was James Sprague, the future Fittest Man on Earth.
Fans who watched in person or on the live stream also had the opportunity to see 2024 CrossFit Games rookie standout Austin Hatfield compete.
- Across the seven events, Hatfield never finished outside the top 10 and was in the top five across the final six events on his way to the overall title.
Rounding out the podium was another 2024 CrossFit Games rookie, Jack Rozema. After a successful performance at the 2023 Crash Crucible, Rozema finished 15th at Wodapalooza before earning his games ticket with a sixth-place finish at the Syndicate Crown.
Who to Watch in 2024?
The 2024 Crash Crucible is set to have the strongest field to date. Here’s who you need to keep an eye on.
The Women
On the women’s side, at least five athletes have previously competed at the CrossFit Games as Individuals, including 2023 Rookie of the Year Olivia Kerstetter.
- Caroline Stanley, Kyra Milligan, Carolyne Prevost, and Fee Saghafi are the other Individual Games athletes joining her.
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Elizabeth Wishart also joins the field this year and is in the midst of a strong run.
- Wishart finished eighth at TYR Wodapalooza Miami before earning 18th place at the North American East Semifinal. In September, she claimed the top spot at the Northern California Classic.
Jordan Szewc missed the CrossFit Games the past two seasons by mere points and will be in contention for a podium spot.
- Szewc finished 13th at the 2024 Semifinals, 13 points out of a qualifying spot. He also finished 13th at the 2023 Semifinals, just three points out of a qualifying position.
Returning to Crash Crucible this year is the defending champion Lindsey Lane and 2023 runner-up Lydia Fish.
- Fish has won the TYR Wodapalooza RX division and finished 19th at Syndicate Crown
A podium dark horse may be Canadian youngster Janie Cheverie. In January, she finished second to Fish at TYR Wodapalooza in the RX division before finishing 19th in her first Semifinal appearance.
The Men
Colten Mertens, fresh off his win at the Northern California Classic, leads the men’s field.
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He is joined by 2024 CrossFit Games rookie Chris Ibarra, 2022 CrossFit Games Rookie of the Year Nick Mathew, and 2021 CrossFit Games athlete Sam Stewart.
When we look at athletes at Crash Crucible this year who could make the 2025 CrossFit Games rookie cohort, Taylor Self leads the way.
- After missing the 2022 Semifinals due to injury and not competing in 2023, Self, who won Crash Crucible in 2021, had an impressive comeback year in 2024.
Self was 13th in the North America East Semifinal, missing a Games ticket by two spots. At the Northern California Classic, he finished in second behind Colten Mertens.
Four other men had strong performances at the West Coast Classic and will be looking to be in the final heat of athletes. Tristan Harrison leads the group after finishing in 12th place at the Semifinals. He’s followed by Drake Lewis (14th), Jacob Marlow (21st), and Justin Rhodes (23rd).
Wait and See
CrossFit fans only have to wait a few more days until the athletes take the floor at Crash Crucible from October 11 to 13.
There will be plenty of eyes on the list of former Games athletes competing, and rightfully so. However, it may be more interesting to watch which competitors make it into the 2025 CrossFit Games rookie class.
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Featured image: @r1ckjones / Instagram
