The 2021 CrossFit Open season is well underway, having launched on March 11 with CrossFit Open Workout 21.1. In true CrossFit form, the season is not without surprises. The first workout included a total of 605 reps of double-unders alone. Also, the wall walk, a movement making its Open debut in the 2021 Crossfit games.
Another this year is the unfortunate withdrawal of Iceland’s Sara Sigmundsdottir. This year she’s torn her ACL and is going to be held up for months in what she is describing as her “worst nightmare.” No CrossFit for her, or her fans and sponsors. This is knee problems 2.0 for Sigmundsdottir, who left the Open early last year as well after a knee infection.
CrossFit Open 21.1 – Not for the Faint of Heart
For this one, the strongest of CrossFitters found it a challenge. Few finalists from last year were at the top of the leaderboard. The first CrossFit Open workout of this season was 21.1 titled “Engine vs. Skull.” It consisted of a grueling marriage of wall walks and double-unders with a fifteen minute time cap. This season’s first matchup included Kristi Eramo O’Connell against last season’s third-place podium finisher Kari Pearce.
Kari Pearce won the first head-to-head with a time of 13:05. On her first attempt, Eramo O’Connell was unable to complete the workout in time. Kristi Eramo O’Connell redid the workout with a time of 13:47.
Even with these times, neither Kristi nor Kari made it to the top 20 of the unofficial leaderboard.
Norway’s Andrea Solberg is in the number one spot with a time of 10:50 for the CrossFit Open Workout 21.1.
Women’s Division
1. Andrea Solberg, Norway – 10:50
2. Johanna Julia Juliusdottir, Iceland – 11:02
3. Danielle Brandon, USA – 11:05
4. Mallory O’Brien, USA – 11:06
5. Alexis Raptis, USA – 11:14
6. Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr, Australia – 11:21
7. Arielle Loewen, USA – 11:22
8. Haley Adams, USA – 11:33
9. Manon Saint-Maxent – 11:35 (Tied, 9th)
10. Ellie Tarence Hiller, USA – 11:35 (Tied, 9th)
11. Alizee Andreani, France – 11:41
12. Katelyn Teager, USA – 11:45 (Tied, 12th)
13. Matilde Garnes, Norway – 11:45 (Tied, 12th)
14. Emma Cary, USA – 11:48
15. Gina Delucia, USA – 11:51 (Tied, 15th)
16. Linn Finstad, Norway – 11:51 (Tied, 15th)
17. Jamie Simmonds, Australia – 11:59
18. Tracy Johnson, USA – 12:01
19. Kristin Holte, Norway – 12:02
20. Isabella Vallejo, Australia – 12:08
In other rankings, last year’s fifth-place finisher Brooke Wells ranked 25th as the season begins, with a time of 12:22. Katrin Tanja Davidsdottir took the 28th spot with a time of 12:30. Despite her win against O’Connell, Pearce placed 51st overall in the first workout.
Men’s Division
1. Logan Dowell, USA – 9:20
2. Felipe Costa, Argentina – 10:54
3. Jacob Wheeler, Australia – 10:59
4. Jonne Koski, Finland – 11:06
5. Brian Horwath, USA – 11:24
6. Saxon Panchik, USA – 11:25
7. Justin Medeiros, USA – 11:31
8. Jordi Rosello Knabe, Spain – 11:32
9. Spencer Panchik, USA – 11:37
10. Jay Crouch, Australia – 11:40 (Tied, 10th)
11. Ruan Potgieter, South Africa – 11:40 (Tied, 10th)
12. Noah Ohlsen, USA – 11:41
13. Zac Thomas, Australia – 11:43
14. Joseph Garris, USA – 11:44
15. Mitchell Stevenson, USA – 11:46
16. Bjorgman Karl Gudmundsson, Iceland – 11:47
17. Jake Berman, USA – 11:48 (Tied, 17th)
18. Brent Fikowski, Canada – 11:48 (Tied, 17th)
19. Victor Hoffer, France – 11:51
20. Hal Fisher, USA – 11:53 (Tied, 20th)
21. Joshua Hong, USA – Republic of Korea – 11:53 (Tied, 20th)
Canadian Jeffrey Adler who placed fifth in the CrossFit Finals last year placed 21st for this workout. Fellow Canadian Pat Vellner finished 50th with a time of 12:39.
Five-time Fittest Man on Earth Mat Fraser has retired. However, his rival and four-time Fittest Man on Earth, Rich Froning, is still very much in the Games and placed 61st, with a time of 12:45. (P.s — Froning will be competing with Crossfit Mayhem in the Teams division).
Related: 2021 CrossFit Open Workout 21.1 Announced (Updated)
Overall, 11 different countries are represented in the top 20 after the first workout of the season. The announcement of the second CrossFit Workout 21.2 “Youth Vs. Experience” will be this Thursday, March 18, 2021, at 8:00 p.m. EST and it’s a matchup between finalists from last year, Justin Medeiros and Samuel Kwant. CrossFit Workout 21.3 will be the Panchik brothers, both of who placed in the top 20 in CrossFit 21.1.
