Australia has embraced the sport of CrossFit since its infancy. Since 2009, the country has hosted Regionals-level CrossFit events and witnessed some of the greatest moments in the history of the sport.
- Flashback: In 2009, Australia’s Steve “Commando” Willis (known for his military-style coaching on Australia’s The Biggest Loser) made the journey to Aromas, CA, where he finished fourth at the CrossFit Games, paving the way for future stars from down under.
With Australia’s largest offseason competition, the Down Under Championship, kicking off October 18-20, we thought it was the perfect time to dig through the archives and share the three greatest Australian CrossFit moments over the years.
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Khan Porter Earns Legendary Status at the 2016 Pacific Regionals
Nowadays, Khan Porter is known as an eight-time Games athlete and member of the 2024 Fittest Team on Earth, but back in 2016, he was fighting for his third ticket to the CrossFit Games.
In order to make it back to CrossFit’s biggest stage, Porter needed to win the final event at the Pacific Regionals in Wollongong, Australia, which was a spicy thruster and legless rope climb couplet.
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- Zeke Grove took the early lead, but after a no-rep on a rope climb, Porter surged ahead and finished the event in first place in front of a roaring crowd.
Porter’s event win secured his third Games qualification and catapulted him into CrossFit stardom in Australia.
Super Mom Kara Saunders Qualifies for the 2020 CrossFit Games Less Than Six Months Post-Partum
The 2020 CrossFit season was unlike any other year we’ve experienced in the sport.
Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was thrown into a global lockdown, and the 2020 CrossFit Open took place in October and November of the previous year.
- Regionals were no more, and Games qualification could happen directly through the Open or by winning a Sanctional event. Confusing, right?
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In this strange season, Kara Saunders was returning to the elite competition as a new mom after having a year off.
- She finished 12th in the worldwide CrossFit Open during her return season, less than six months after giving birth to her daughter.
Saunders also won a Sanctional event (the Australian CrossFit Championship), but her 12th-place finish in the Open had already secured her place at the 2020 CrossFit Games.
We now have a host of super moms in the sport of CrossFit, but Kara Saunders was a trailblazer who showed the world that motherhood doesn’t have to mean that your elite sporting pursuits are over.
Alethea Boon Proves Age Is Only a Number at the 2024 Torian Pro
The next Australian highlight comes from Event 5 at the 2024 Oceania Semifinal, which was a repeat of the 2016 Regionals snatch ladder.
Oceania had three women — Madeline “Maddie” Sturt, Katelin Van Zyl, and Alethea Boon — who had completed this workout in 2016. And all of them improved their scores in 2024.
One of the most thrilling moments happened when 40-year-old New Zealander Alethea Boon successfully hit her final two 175-pound (79.4kg) snatches, shaving three seconds off her 2016 time right before the time cap.
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Alongside her was Briony Challis and Semifinals rookie Ellie Price, who appeared to be in shock as she crossed the line in front of an electric crowd.
Bonus: The Epic Battle Between Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr and Kara Saunders at the 2017 CrossFit Games
This one didn’t happen on Australian soil, but we couldn’t discuss the most iconic moments in Australian CrossFit history without mentioning the 2017 battle for the top of the podium between two of the country’s most iconic CrossFit athletes.
To set the scene, both athletes were hungry for the Fittest on Earth crown.
- Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr was coming off consecutive second-place finishes in 2015 and 2016, and Kara Saunders (nee Webb) was known as the greatest athlete to never podium at the Games.
Both Australians had two event wins under their belts going into “Heavy 17.5,” the final event on Saturday night.
During the event, Toomey-Orr and Saunders traded places until the final round.
Saunders approached the rope with a slight lead and managed to power over the line moments before Toomey-Orr. But a miscount by Saunders’ judge added to the intensity of the moment.
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Saunders came away with the Heavy 17.5 event win, but Toomey-Orr took the Fittest on Earth title, winning by a mere two points over Saunders in a thrilling fight to the end.
- This remains the tightest victory in the history of the sport.
Toomey went on to win seven titles and to be known as the greatest CrossFit athlete of all time.
What’s Next for Australian CrossFit?
Australians love their sports, and CrossFit is no different. The events attract huge, energetic crowds and some of the best international athletes the sport has to offer.
We’re excited to see what iconic moments will unfold at the upcoming Down Under Championship in Wollongong, Australia, from October 18-20.
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Featured image: @iamkhanporter / Instagram
