Last weekend, seven-time CrossFit Games champ Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr dominated the Torian Pro In-Person Qualifying Event (IPQE) in Brisbane, Australia, winning five of the six events and earning her 10th invitation to the CrossFit Games.
That being said, it’s still unclear whether she will accept her invitation, as she has hinted at retirement in recent weeks.
She will have to make her decision soon, though, as CrossFit’s director of sport, Dave Castro, announced on Monday that he has given her a deadline.
- “She has a period of time to decide. We gave her a date, basically until when she has to make a decision if she wants to use the spot or not,” Castro said on his Week in Review on YouTube.
Furthermore, Castro said he will inform fifth-place finisher Georgia Pryer of the date, as well, since she would be the backfill athlete should Toomey-Orr decline her invitation to Albany, NY this summer.
- “The date that we gave [Toomey-Orr] is fair to everyone,” Castro said.
He did not publicly share the specific date he gave Toomey-Orr.
Remind Me
In recent months, Toomey-Orr has turned her attention to HYROX and is having great success.
- She and HYROX athlete Joanna Wietrzyk set a world record at the HYROX Houston race earlier this season in the Pro Women’s Doubles division, securing their spot at the upcoming HYROX World Championships this June in Chicago, IL.
Furthermore, Toomey-Orr announced in April that the Torian Pro will be her opportunity “to say goodbye to this chapter,” which suggests a retirement.
After her win in Brisbane over the weekend, in an on-floor post-event interview, Toomey-Orr reiterated: “To end it here in front of a home crowd, and walk away with my heart just so full of love, and admiration, and gratitude. It’s a dream come true.”
- But then, she went on to say: “Tomorrow is never promised. I think that’s why it’s so hard for me to retire.”
The Bottom Line
Toomey-Orr seems to be struggling with the decision to retire.
And who can blame her?
- If she shows up in Albany this summer, it’s hers to lose, and who wouldn’t want to become an eight-time CrossFit Games champion, not to mention the payday it will bring?
We have predicted that we will see Toomey-Orr once again at the 2025 CrossFit Games, and Castro suspects the same.“Unsure if she is going to come to the Games, but she won her ticket, so she has the opportunity to. I imagine she will, but only Tia knows what Tia is going to do,” he said.
More CrossFit Stories
- Scotland’s Jennifer Muir Is WFP Crowned and Games Bound
- 8 Big Takeaways From a Jam-Packed “Super Semis” Weekend
- How to Build a Strong Aerobic Base
Featured image: Carlos Fluery, @carlitosfleury / Instagram
