Athletes in Fort Worth, TX, will finish the third day of the 2024 CrossFit Games with “Push Pull 2.0,” a riff on the iconic 2014 Games event featuring one of the most well-known epic battles between two OGs.
The details: The 2024 CrossFit Games Event 7 was announced Saturday morning as “Push Pull 2.0,” but details weren’t released until later in the day.
- It’s only right to repeat the workout on its 10th birthday.
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Individual Event 7: Push Pull 2.0
For time:
- 45 handstand push-ups
- 80-foot sled pull from standing (110/180 pounds)
- 30 strict handstand push-ups
- 80-foot sled pull seated from the platform
- 15 freestanding handstand push-ups, advancing every 3 reps
Time cap: 10 minutes
A Legendary Match-Up
The workout was such a memorable moment from the 2014 Games that it’s worth revisiting the entire event to see how it compares to this new revamped version.
2014 Push Pull (Original):
For time of:
- 7 handstand push-ups (deficit for men)
- 50-foot sled pull
- 8 deficit handstand push-ups
- 50-foot sled pull
- 9 deficit handstand push-ups
- 50-foot sled pull
- 10 deficit handstand push-ups
- 50-foot sled pull
- Each round, the deficit for the strict handstand push-ups increases. No kipping.
Time cap: 11 minutes
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While sled pull weights for the 2024 version have yet to be released, the weights from 2014 were: 145/180/215/250 pounds for women and 204/260/315/370 pounds for men.
Lay of the Land in 2014
On the women’s side, Camille Leblanc-Bazinet was leading over Kara Saunders by nine points and ahead of Annie Thorisdottir by 102 points.
On the men’s side, Rich Froning was in fifth place after a disappointing finish in the event “Triple 3” the previous day and had some ground to make up.
- It would ultimately be Michele Letendre, now known to most as Pat Vellner’s coach, who beat out the field of women for the event win. Leblanc-Bazinet came in third behind Nicole Holcomb.
But the men’s event took the spotlight, and to this day, it is known as one of the most epic battles in CrossFit Games history.
Veteran Games athlete and Navy Seal Josh Bridges was sitting in sixth place coming into “Push Pull” and knew he could make moves during this workout.
- In the final heat, the men were looking to best Cody Anderson’s time of 5:04.
At the start of the event, Ben Stoneberg took the lead on the wall in round three, going unbroken, followed by Bridges and Froning.
- But Froning ended up taking the lead after the third sled pull, with one round of 10 10-inch strict deficit HSPU and one 50-foot sled pull remaining.
During the last set of HSPU, Froning and Stoneberg took multiple breaks while Bridges pushed through, going unbroken, leaving only the last sled pull standing between him and an event win.
- Bridges went into the sled pull with a 12-second lead ahead of Froning but was ceding a lot of power to Froning on the exceedingly heavy sled. The two would battle side by side for the length of the pull as Froning gained on Bridges throughout.
In those final two pulls, it would be Bridges grit and determination that pulled him ever so slightly ahead of Froning.
He ended up taking the event win with a time of 4:46, a two-second lead ahead of Froning.
Even though Froning went on to sweep all three of Sunday’s events, the battle between him and Bridges will go down in history.
10 Years Later
Fast-forward to 2024, and athletes are again taking on “Push Pull,” but with a shorter time cap and arguably more difficult variations (and repetitions) of handstand push-ups. The hardest being the 15 freestanding handstand push-ups at the end.
In 2014, the skill of handstand push-ups wasn’t quite as difficult as it is today. The repetitions of the HSPU were a maximum of nine reps in a given set.
Now, athletes are expected to do 45 at the start.
A lot has changed in 10 years and the event will be a good example of how the sport of CrossFit has evolved over the last ten years.
One Last Thing
The weekend has been a dedication to Lazar Đukić. Athletes are showing up to compete in honor of him and giving the community something to be joyful for after a tragic first day.
- An iconic workout like “Push Pull” will likely just be another positive event that gets the community back on its feet little by little.
Featured image: Nicky Freymond
