For the Love of the Game
For the Love of the GameCompeting at the elite level in CrossFit takes dedication, consistency and a love for the process. With the 2023 Semifinals complete, we saw nearly 600 individual athletes on the competition floor, who have all put in years of work pursuing excellence in the sport. Some of these athletes will only compete at this level once, while others return year after year. Of the 596 individual athletes at Semifinals this year, o309 competed as individuals last year as well. Only 52% of this year’s Semifinals field also competed as an individual last year. If you look back another year, 181 athletes have competed at Semifinals all three years. There are many factors that can prevent an athlete from coming back year after year, motivation, ability, financial constraints, injury are among the many factors impacting if an athlete competes at the elite level each year. That makes it even more impressive when we see the same names year after year, knowing only 40 men and 40 women advance to the CrossFit Games. Rolling the clock back even further, 34 athletes have competed at an elite level every year since 2018. This covers 2018 Regionals, a Sanctional event in 2019 and 2020, and 3 years of Semifinals. Twenty-nine of those athletes have made an appearance as an individual at the CrossFit Games. This leaves 5 athletes. Five athletes who have competed at an elite level for at least 6 years. Quietly working in the gym, day after day, year after year, without the fanfare of their peers, but putting in the work to be among the best in the world. These five athletes are Alex Kotoulas, Alison Scudds, Josh Woodhull, Norman Woodring, Yuko Sakuyama, and each deserve recognition for competing with the best in the world year after year. Alex KotoulasAlex Kotoulas is a Greek athlete currently training with HWPO. Kotoulas has been just outside the cutline all three years at Semifinals, With appearances in the Last Chance Qualifier in both 2021 and 2022. In 2023, he missed the final Games spot by 4 spots after a 15th place finish. 2022 was Kotoulas’ most successful year, as a CrossFit athlete with top 4 finishes at the Dubai Fitness Championship, the Madrid Challenger Series and the Madrid Championship.
Alison ScuddsAlison Scudds is the best known athlete on the list thanks to her participation on the CrossFit Games Demo team, and in many movement standards images produced by CrossFit. Scudds has been training with Underdogs athletics for the past 2 seasons. The closest Alison Scudds has come to qualifying for the CrossFit Games was back in 2017 Regionals, where she finished 7th at the Atlantic Regional. She also had notable performances during the Sanctional era, where she finished 5th in both the 2019 Brazil CrossFit Championship and the 2020 Pandaland CrossFit Challenge.
Josh WoodhullJosh Woodhull has two 2nd place finishes in Sanctionals. In 2019 he finished 2nd at the Asia CrossFit Championship and 2nd in the 2020 Norwegian CrossFit Championship, but thanks to the Sanctionals era qualifying rule he did not earn a spot at the Games from either competition.
Norman WoodringNorman Woodring is an athlete and affiliate owner of Not The Norm CrossFit. 2023 brought his best Semifinals finish, relative to the number of qualifying spots, after he finished 18th in the North America East Semifinal. In 2023 Woodring also earned himself a World Record in Quarterfinals Event #3. In 2019 Woodring went on a CrossFit World Tour, with appearances at Wodapalooza, Strength in Depth, the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge and the Brazil CrossFit Championship.
Yuko SakuyamaYuko Sakuyama is the only athlete from outside North America on the list. Sakuyama was in a 9 points out of a qualifying position for the CrossFit Games after 3 events of the 2023 Far East Throwdown, but a shoulder injury forced her to withdraw from competition. Sakuyama had top 5 finishes in both 2021 and 2022 Semifinals, but wasn’t able to clinch on of the 2 qualifying spots in these competitions.
The time, energy and money these 5 athletes have put into the sport of CrossFit is admirable, and is on a scale with the greatest of the game. To do so, without ever reaching the CrossFit Games, and the recognition that goes with that accomplishment is exemplary. |
Quick Singles🌎 🏆 We did a recap of the top 10 scores world wide in each Semifinal Event. Event 1, Event 2, Event 3, Event 4, Event 5, Event 6, Event 7 🚑 If you thought a lot of athlete withdrew from Semifinals this year, you were right 👨🦳🧑🦳 Age is just a number Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed the content of this newsletter, tell a friend about us. Take Care Dave from Fran Lung |
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