4 Potential CrossFit Games Rookies Who Could Have a Big 2024 Season
At the 2023 CrossFit Semifinals, amid the excitement and celebration of Games qualification, some athletes fell just short of punching their ticket to Madison. Crestfallen and discouraged, stuck watching and training, they would have to wait another year to fight for the chance to test themselves against the fittest.
While many athletes fit into this category, a few stood out as perennially on the bubble.
Now that 2024 CrossFit Open scores have been submitted, some of these athletes are looking to finally break through this season. Here are four to look out for.
Anikha Greer
This 21-year-old Canadian athlete has had a very successful off-season, taking second place at both the Madrid Championship and the Down Under Championship and third place on a team at TYR Wodapalooza. Greer barely missed the cut at the 2023 North America East Semifinal, finishing in 12th place, one spot out.
[Related: A (Brief) History of the CrossFit Games]
The year prior, due to technical issues, Greer’s fifth and final workout of the 2022 Quarterfinals failed to upload, ending her season unceremoniously.
Greer officially bounced back at the 2024 Open, finishing in third worldwide and in first place in the North America East region. This could be a strong season for the young competitor.
Luka Vunjak
The Progrm’s Luka Vunjak is on everyone’s radar, as he just finished fourth overall in the Open and second in his region (Europe). The Serbian athlete took 14th at last year’s Europe Semifinal with two top-10 event finishes. The previous year, he similarly missed the cut by a narrow margin, taking ninth place at the Lowlands Throwdown.
Victor Hoffer
Like Vunjak, Victor Hoffer also missed the cut at the 2023 Europe Semifinal. The HWPO Training athlete took 13th last year in Berlin, missing out by two spots. Finishing the worldwide Open in 21st place and eighth in Europe is a good look for the 21-year-old’s upcoming season. While many loved watching him on the 2023 Games Demo Team, fans would prefer to see him throw down with the fittest.
[Related: Morning Chalk Up’s Guide to the 2024 CrossFit Quarterfinals]
Grace Walton
Australian Grace Walton finished second worldwide at the 2024 Open and first in her region. Before that, the Underdogs Athletics star took sixth place at 2023’s Torian Pro, failing to qualify by three spots. Later that year, she placed third at the Down Under Championship. She was interviewed recently by Morning Chalk Up, where she shared that she’s motivated and ready to make the push to qualify this year.
The Best of the Rest
Another athlete we’re watching carefully is Hannah Black, a North America West athlete who finished 16th at her 2023 Semifinal. While she will not be competing as an individual this year (she will be competing on an Invictus team), we’re still anxious to see her debut at the Games.
In addition to Black, Oceania’s Peter Ellis finished fifth at the Torian Pro in 2023 and just took 286th place in the worldwide Open and 27th in his region. Black and Ellis are two bubble athletes who are looking to bounce into a qualifying spot.
From the Asia region, athletes Dawon Jung of South Korea and Morteza Sedaghat from Iran are two other competitors who are having a strong start to their 2024 season after being on the bubble in 2023. Jung took 75th overall in the Open and third in the Asia region. In 2023, she finished third at the Asia Semifinal after finishing third in 2022 as well.
[Related: An Ode to the CrossFit Garage Gym]
Sedaghat finished the Open in 163rd overall and fifth in Asia with a second-place finish at last year’s Asia Semifinal, qualifying for the Games. However, due to visa issues, he was unable to attend, thus allowing Ant Haynes to take his spot.
The Bottom Line
With the season just barely underway, there is a lot of speculation to be had. While these athletes all have a shot at qualifying for the first time, many others do as well. We are guaranteed to see some new faces amongst the veteran elites in Fort Worth this year, and we’re anxious to continue the anticipation as Quarterfinals approach.
Featured image: Ava Kitzi