CrossFit Announces Semifinals Reseeding; Toomey Competing at MACC

CrossFit announced changes to the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games Semifinals in an Instagram post on Tuesday evening. In the post, they announced that several athletes who could not compete in their respective Semifinals due to travel restrictions have been extended invitations to compete in Semis closer to where they live, this included two live, in-person competitions in the United States and one in Australia.

One big thing: Six athletes were reseeded and given invitations into different Semifinals than their original one with four-time reigning and defending “Fittest Woman on Earth” Tia-Clair Toomey headlining that group. Toomey will now compete at the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge on May 28-30 in Knoxville, TN. Along with Toomey, Emma Chapman, Carla Henriet and Christina Livaditakis have been extended invites to compete at a live competition. The remaining two athletes, Lee Keyrouz and Tafadzwa Muchandu, have been extended invites to compete at a different online Semifinal.

The details: The reseeding occurred due to athletes who qualified for their respective Semifinals not accepting their invitations, leaving open spots to fill at the discretion of CrossFit.

• In the case of Toomey, who was originally set to compete at the Torian Pro Semifinal in her native Australia but was later moved to the online Atlas Games due to travel restrictions a week ago, spots became available after Andrea Nisler (Mayhem Freedom) and Carrie Beamer (CrossFit i1uvit) elected to compete on their respective teams at Semifinals than as individuals at the MACC.
• Chapman, like Toomey lives in the US and also qualified for the Semis through Oceania, was also extended an invitation to the MACC, allowing the 2019 Games team athlete to compete in a live event.
• Henriet, who qualified out of Africa but lives in the US, will compete at the Granite Games possibly taking the spot that Taylor Streid left vacated to compete with her Blues City Athletics team.
• Livaditakis, who lives in Australia, will be reseeded from the Fittest in CapeTown Semifinal in Africa to another live competition in the Torian Pro.
• CrossFit also noted that any event that had an athlete from another continental region competing at it would get four spots for the Last-Chance Qualifier competition instead of the original three.
• With these changes, CrossFit also said that there will be no additional qualifying spots added to the Games.

The bottom-line: Obviously having Toomey competing in a live, in-person competition event is a win for CrossFit and particularly the organizers of the MACC, who’s star-studded line-up just added arguably the top-athlete in the world man or woman. Fans in attendance and watching the event online can now see Toomey go head-to-head with PRVN training partner Brooke Wells as well as Game’s podium contenders Haley Adams and Amanda Barnhart. With Games invites going to the top five finishers the margin of error and competitiveness for those in the women’s field just went up a notch.

• Wilson Pak, Director of the MACC, “We are excited to have the four-time Fittest Women on Earth at the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge on May 28-30, 2021. We look forward to having one of the biggest ambassadors of our sport compete in Knoxville, Tenn.”