Jonne Koski traveled to Carson, CA, in 2014 to compete in his first CrossFit Games at 19 years old.
- He had only been training in CrossFit for two years, and on the first day of competition, Koski recalls he was a bundle of nerves.
He had been training with his friends and fellow 2014 CrossFit Games rookies Lukas Hoberg and Björgvin Karl Guðmundsson. Collectively, they hoped they stood a chance against the best in the world and could compete alongside role models like Jason Khalipa and Matt Chan.
That first year in Carson would set Koski on a path for the next decade of his life, including 10 CrossFit Games appearances from 2014 through 2023.
Jonne Koski Remembers
Koski reminisces on those early days of competing and shares that his first year was full of mistakes.
- “I think a part of it was just being a rookie and being star-struck by everything, just going under the tennis stadium lights was a lot to handle for a first timer,” Koski told Morning Chalk Up.
Besides beginner missteps like starting a workout too quickly or under-preparing for the volume, Koski remembers a serious mistake made during the sixth event, the “21-15-9 Complex,” held at the end of the second day.
- The workout consisted of deadlifts, cleans, snatches, pull-ups, chest-to-bar pull-ups, and bar muscle-ups.
Gymnastics grips weren’t as common at the time, but a few competitors had considered using them, since the gymnastics would take place on a metal rig under the Southern California sun.
- “I didn’t bring any; I had never used them,” Koski says. “And under the Carson sun, the pull-up bar was like flaming, burning hot. I remember the first rep of my 21 pull-ups, I could feel my whole palm just coming off, and it started bleeding all over. And I just couldn’t grip the bar. I remember Neil Maddox came up and offered his glove to me so I could finish my last rep of the bar muscle-ups under the time cap.”
Koski reflects not only on that weekend in Carson but on that time as a whole, noting that so much has changed. The sport was younger, and the science behind protocols and progressions wasn’t fully developed. While training is more methodical and exact today, the prevailing wisdom a decade ago often boiled down to “the harder the workout, the better it was.”
For Koski, maintaining longevity in the sport means training smarter, not harder. He’s also learned how to recover best, not only physically but also emotionally. “In general,” he says, “I’ve matured as an athlete and person.”
Another shift he’s noticed in the sport is the support available to young athletes. Gifted coaches with expertise who care deeply about their athletes are a mainstay.
Additionally, organized training weekends and camps like the Adidas Primer connect athletes and facilitate connections and support.
- “We didn’t have those opportunities 10 or 12 years ago. I’ve learned a lot of things the hard way,” he says. “I’ve had seven surgeries, six on my knee, one on my shoulder. Those were partly due to stupid mistakes – pushing too hard when I should have rested… but I was under too much pressure. I’ve learned through those, but it would have been easier to have a proper coach telling me to slow down.”
2025 and Beyond
Training has been going well for Koski — he’s noticeably relaxed and enjoying himself.
In 2024, he says he peaked early in the season, becoming the first man to win both the worldwide Open and Quarterfinals in the same year. However, he came up just short at the Europe Semifinal, missing a CrossFit Games qualification by just a few spots.
- He currently sits one spot outside a qualifying position on the unofficial In-Affiliate Semifinals leaderboard, and took third in April at the Wodland Fest, missing out on a Games ticket there by one spot as well.
As a signed pro athlete for the World Fitness Project, he has committed to both Tour Events (the first in Indianapolis, IN, last weekend and the second in Mesa, AZ, in August) and the Finals in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December.
- At Tour Stop I, Koski got off to a rough start, taking 29th in the first event, but battled back to 20th in the Pro Division by the end of Sunday. He earned 320 points toward his season total and will carry those on to Tour Stop II.
He also recently shared big news in his personal life: He and partner Emilia Leppänen will be welcoming their first baby this summer – a new chapter in the life of a CrossFit legend.
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Featured image: Lydia Stadthoewer
