The first two tickets for the 2025 CrossFit Games are up for grabs from April 5-6 at the Mayhem Classic in Cookeville, TN.
Remind me: The Mayhem Classic will be the first of 10 In-Person Qualifying Events (IPQE) in the latest iteration of the frequently changing CrossFit season format.
- Eighteen men and women will qualify through these events, with an additional 11 qualifying through the In-Affiliate Online Semifinal, which runs from May 1 to May 4.
One final spot will be awarded through the Last Chance Qualifier, bringing the total to 30 men and 30 women. It’s important to note that the Last Chance Qualifier is currently not referenced in the 2025 CrossFit Games season rulebook.
Athletes will tackle six events throughout the weekend. So far, only the first two have been announced:
3 Rounds for time:
- 800-meter Run
- 20 burpee get-overs, 48 inches
- 40 feedbag squats, 100/70 pounds
For time:
- 30 snatches, 225/155 pounds
In addition to the tickets to the Games, there is a total prize purse of $81,500, with the first-place man and woman taking home $15,000 each. Let’s take a look at the competitors.
Men
Favorites
James Sprague
The reigning Games champion showed the naysayers that he is the real deal at TYR Wodapalooza in January and aims to prove that 2024 was no fluke.
The 22-year-old is motivated and improving rapidly, achieving his career-best Open finish of 18th place earlier this year. He enters as the man to beat, so expect him to start with a win in event one right out of the gate.
Jayson Hopper
Hopper is also coming off a career year, just missing the podium in fourth place at the 2024 CrossFit Games. He followed that with a strong third-place performance at Rogue.
He tends to rise to the level of his competition and will be in the running to secure a top spot.
Roman Khrennikov
Although Khrennikov has ranked lower each year at the Games since 2022, injuries have played a major role.
We all know that when Khrennikov is healthy, he is in contention to win any event, regardless of the competition. Plus, it certainly helps that he has home-court advantage in Cookeville.
Contenders
Austin Hatfield
Hatfield burst onto the scene in 2024, finishing 14th in the Open, eighth at the North America East Semifinal, and 10th at the Games. He continued his upward trajectory into 2025, earning third place at TYR Wodapalooza and fourth in the Open.
Being a Mayhem athlete might give Hatfield the edge to secure one of those coveted tickets to the Games.
Colten Mertens
Just a few weeks ago, Mertens delivered the most dominant performance we’ve ever witnessed in the men’s division during the Open. He is a home run hitter likely to win at least one event in Cookeville.
In his last Semifinal appearance at the 2024 West Coast Classic, he won two of the six events but fell two spots short of qualifying for the Games. His highest finish at any Semifinal event was fourth at the 2022 Granite Games, yet he looks like a man on a mission in 2025.
Who Else to Watch
Gui Malheiros
Although Malheiros announced that he will not compete in the CrossFit season, he will still be competing for pride and a share of the prize purse. Gui is consistently the favorite to win any snatch event, so look for him to take Heavy Isabel.
Nick Mathew
Like some other Games veterans, Mathew’s 2024 season was cut short by penalties in the Quarterfinals. The king of the crop top finished 51st in the Open this year and is ready to make 2025 a comeback season.
Worth noting: The men’s roster features five of the 20 World Fitness Project Pro Card holders as well as six of the Challengers who qualified (unofficially) for WFP Tour Event I in Indianapolis, making the Mayhem Classic something of a “pre-season” showcase for the WFP men’s division.
Women
Favorites
Alexis Raptis
Raptis placed second at the 2024 North America East Semifinal, just behind the seven-time Games Champ, Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr. She outperformed the other women in this year’s Mayhem Classic field, making her the favorite to win.
Raptis went on to finish sixth at the Games for the second consecutive year. Although she placed behind Emily Rolfe (third) and Haley Adams (fifth) in Fort Worth, earning a Games ticket in Cookeville won’t be a cakewalk.
Haley Adams
Adams took the 2023 season off and rediscovered her joy in 2024. She qualified for the 2024 Games by securing sixth place at the North America East Semifinal, capping off her comeback season with a fifth-place finish in Fort Worth. Although she ended this year’s Open in 274th place worldwide, she remains a threat, especially on her home turf.
Emily Rolfe
A perennial contender who continues to improve, Rolfe is coming off the best CrossFit Games finish of her career, taking third place at the age of 34. She enters the 2025 season as a Masters athlete and will be at or near the top of any endurance event she faces.
Contenders
Abigail Domit
Domit proved she is for real by winning the 2024 West Coast Classic. She was a candidate for most improved last season and demonstrated she can compete with the best.
She ranked 45th in the Open, marking the start of her fourth season as an individual. Her future is bright.
Fee Saghafi
Coming off a second-place Open finish worldwide, just one point behind first, Saghafi was the only woman to place in the top 10 in all three workouts.
The two-time Games athlete missed qualifying last year, which has fueled her motivation for 2025. She is ready to make some noise in Cookeville.
Who Else to Watch
Shelby Neal
Neal held her own with some of the biggest names in the sport at the 2024 North America East Semifinal. She finished fifth, securing her second consecutive trip to the Games. Neal is a fierce competitor who shows up when it counts, usually with a smile on her face.
Paige Semenza
Semenza had her worst Open finish since 2016, placing 263rd this year. However, the top-tier athletes only needed to rank in the top 1200 to qualify for the Semifinals, and the five-time Games veteran achieved her best result of ninth place last year in Fort Worth.
Together with Raptis, Adams, and Rolfe, she holds one of the 20 World Fitness Project Pro Cards for the 2025 season.
Worth noting: Two would-be favorites, Danielle Brandon and Brooke Wells, withdrew from the competition this week, opening the door a little wider for the remaining athletes.
The Bottom Line on the Mayhem Classic
The Mayhem Classic features top competitors prepared to showcase their skills in Tennessee. By the end of the weekend, we will know the first two men and women heading to Albany later this summer.
Tune in to watch the action live on the Mayhem YouTube channel.
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Featured Image: Sara Ines Chew
