Fans are in for an exciting first live 2025 CrossFit Open announcement, which will feature three athletes who finished in the top 10 at the 2024 CrossFit Games, including:
- Haley Adams – Fifth place at the 2024 CrossFit Games.
- Austin Hatfield – 10th at the 2024 CrossFit Games.
- Roman Khrennikov – Ninth at the 2024 CrossFit Games.
All three athletes come from the Mayhem training camp. And while Hatfield and Adams are both live announcement rookies, Khrennikov competed previously at 23.2 and 24.3.
The announcement plans were shared with the public on Monday via Instagram.
[Related: Best Creatine Supplements]
Remind me: The CrossFit Open marks the start of the 2025 CrossFit Games season, which is shaping up to look quite different than in years past.
- There is a new format to the season, along with both major and minor rulebook changes.
In the post, CrossFit revealed that the 25.1 Open announcement, presented by Rogue, will be hosted by CrossFit Mayhem in Cookeville, TN, on February 27 at 12:00 p.m. PT. The announcement will be streamed live on the CrossFit Games website and YouTube channel.
While the workout itself is still unknown, it’s been confirmed that there will be a repeat Open workout this year. We’re just not sure which week it will show up.
- The event will be hosted by CrossFit mainstays Rory Mckernan and Chase Ingraham.
Typically, Open workout announcements include head-to-head matchups, but there have been some epic three-athlete showdowns in the past.
A Note on the 2024 Season: For those following the sport of CrossFit, it goes without saying that the 2024 season ended tragically.
- On the first day of the 2024 CrossFit Games, Lazar Ðukić drowned during the swim portion of Event 1. The loss ran through the entire community, shaking it to its core.
While the Games continued and many athletes chose to stay and compete, many of the competitors have since said it was hard to maintain their focus and composure during the weekend.
- In the fallout of the incident, elite athletes shared individual stories and reflections on their experiences.
Some have chosen not to participate in the Open for the 2025 season, while others have said that they will. Generally speaking, it comes down to the individual as to whether they want to participate or not, both at the elite and community levels.
The 25.1 Matchup
Austin Hatfield and Roman Khrennikov
Hatfield, a 2024 Games rookie, just made the Games cut in 2024 after finishing in eighth place at the North America East Semifinal.
Meanwhile, Khrennikov, who finished ninth at the Games last year, is a seasoned vet.
- Hatfield only finished one spot behind Khrennikov at the Games. And, if there had been a Rookie of the Year in 2024, it likely would’ve been Hatfield.
Both athletes have very different strengths and weaknesses. Any machine workout would likely favor Khrennikov, while Hatfield would excel at a more gymnastics-style workout.
- For example, Khrennikov ranked third in “Track and Field” at the 2024 Games, while Hatfield placed 19th.
Hatfield, known for his strength, placed seventh in the “Clean Ladder.” Meanwhile, Khrennikov finished towards the middle of the pack, carding a 22nd-place finish.
In fact, the two athletes’ strengths vary so much that they had an average placing difference of 18.5 spots in all of the Games workouts, except for one: Chad.
Hatfield pulled off a surprising second-place finish on the 1000 step-up-and-overs, with Khrennikov one spot behind in third. This may suggest that their strengths align in a long grind workout.
Despite only recently coming onto the scene, Hatfield has finished ahead of Khrennikov at the Open in 2023 and 2024.
2024 Open
- Austin Hatfield: 14th place overall
- Roman Khrennikov: 18th place overall
2023 Open
- Austin Hatfield: 11th place overall
- Roman Khrennikov: 17th place overall
2022 Open
- Austin Hatfield: 1144th overall
- Roman Khrennikov: 138th overall
Haley Adams
Adams, a Games veteran and former Teen athlete, has reappeared on the elite CrossFit scene after taking a short hiatus. Her comeback was highlighted by a fifth-place finish at the 2024 Games.
Known for her phenomenal engine and running abilities, Adams is poised to do well if there is a machine involved. She took second in the “Track and Field” event at the 2024 Games and took third in “Chad.”
Generally speaking, other than not participating in the Games season for 2022 and 2023, Adams has done well in the Open.
2024 Open
- 126th place overall
2022 Open
- Third overall
2021 Open
- 10th overall
Adams currently has no opponent, but things could change before the event.
More CrossFit Stories
- James Sprague and Justin Medeiros Make HYROX Debuts in Las Vegas
- Is Gui Malheiros the Most Dominant CrossFit Athlete Ever? (At the Thing He Is Great At)
- The 4 Most Impressive Comebacks in CrossFit History
Featured image: @crossfitgames / Instagram
