The 2010 CrossFit Games site is now live. All new information will be posted there from now on.

This 2009 Games site will remain intact. You will need to access it specifically through this link:
http://games2009.crossfit.com/

We're very close on starting the release of the Complete 2009 CrossFit Games videos in the CrossFit Journal (within a couple days). There will be a unique Complete 2009 Games category for only those videos.

The 2009 CrossFit Games Complete Story!

The long wait is almost over! Three epic stories will be told with a total of over 10 hours of footage. The entire content will be released in the CrossFit Journal in its own category. There will be 19 total posts, one for each event for the men and women, and three for the Affiliate Cup.

Each part will be available in three versions: True HD (720p), standard Windows Media, and standard QuickTime, which will be iPod/iPhone compatible.

Because they will be in their own category, they can be fed automatically into iTunes. There will be instructions for how to view the videos on your TV if you so choose.

Once we start, we will release one part per day for 19 days. We'll start with all eight Men's episodes, followed by the three Affiliate Cup episodes, and capped off with the eight Women's episodes.

No official date yet, but probably within a week.

The 2010 CrossFit Games Website!

We are going to launch the 2010 Games website in a few days. There will be preliminary information available immediately on the entire season of qualifiers. This year, there will be 13 Regionals around the world that all take place in May. But unlike last year, you now have to qualify for the Regionals (with a few exceptions in continents with sparse populations of CrossFitters).

Feeding these Regionals will be approximately 30 Sectional competitions, which will be open to anyone. The Sectionals will take place from mid-February to late March. There will even be a Sectional held as one of the events at the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio.

Registration for all events worldwide will hopefully launch Monday, December 21st through our dedicated Registration Website. We will do our best to allow everyone in who wants to compete, but at some point we may have to cut it off. Spectator attendance at most Sectionals will be limited, so you'll want to act quickly.

After a brutal day in the Aromas sun, the couplet event was all that stood between a handful of female competitors and a berth in the top 16, and day two. A strong finish here could keep their dreams alive for this years Games.

The heat was stacked with competitors. Rebecca Voigt, of Valley CrossFit, finished in 13:54, a course record at the time. Her time set the bar for the rest of the heats and she maintained fourth place in the event. Glory Dawson,of CrossFit BWI, finished just behind her and recorded the sixth fastest time of the day.

Women's Couplet, Second Heat Video ... [wmv] [mov]

From, "In Pursuit Of Sunday," by Again Faster. "In the stadium it's hard to know where to lend your attention. On one end, the defending champions from CrossFit Oakland. On the other is CrossFit Santa Cruz Central, and CrossFit legend Annie Sakamoto. In the middle are teams like CrossFit One World and Front Range CrossFit out of Denver, Colorado."

"If CrossFit Central was a favorite for who they sent to the individual competition, Front Range CrossFit would be their equal for who they did not. It was announced at the conclusion of the Rocky Mountain Regional Qualifiers, that the top three female competitors, all from Front Range CrossFit would forego the individual competition and participate instead in the Affiliate Cup."

After the wall balls put an end to CrossFit Oakland's hopes of a repeat victory, Front Range took an early lead and maintained it. Jeremy Christofferson, who took 18th place in Rocky Mountain Qualifier despite a broken hand, lead the team into the final deadlift portion of the event. Front Range posted the best time of the day in the Stadium Event, but it was not enough to place them in the top 5.

Stadium Arcadium ... [wmv] [mov]

Mikko Salo recounts the 7 kilometer run from the safety of Finland. He talks about the camaraderie of the weekend, and his introduction to Spealler on the last stretch of the run. "I don't know why I did it, it just came naturally... Hello, I'm Mikko... but I think it's the spirit of CrossFit. You are having this huge fight in the first event, for who will be number one and still we shook hands. It was quite nice."

Other than the run, most of the events were a blur to Mikko until he saw them on film. "I don't remember the events at the Games, they are not clear to me. It's quite funny to watch, I look and remember like ten things."

He was happy not to fully relive the events though. "I had flashbacks and thought, yes it was like that. But I did not feel that pain that is on my face."

Mikko Run Recap Video ... [wmv] [mov]

All superheroes have alternate identities. Tanya Wagner is no exception. The 26 year old school teacher from Pennsylvania co-owns CrossFit Apex with her husband and fellow competitor, Josh Wagner. She leads by example in compeition with an easy-going attitude and positive approach to sport. Tanya finished second at the 2008 CrossFit Games.

Going into the final chipper event on Sunday, Wagner was almost assured the title, 'World's Fittest Woman.' Annie Thorisdotter trailed by seven points and could dethrone Tanya if she finished 8 places ahead, or if Tanya failed to finish the workout.

The question? Ten muscle-ups. Annie had never done one and Tanya got her first just six months prior.

Wagner was having doubts entering the final event. "I was freakin' out and I just needed to calm down. Jolie really helped, she's awesome." Mostly, she was nervous about the muscle ups. She was unfamiliar with the equipment and had a realatively limited exposure to the movement itself. "I just got my muscle up in February... I've never done ten total in a workout."

In the end, Annie got her first muscle-up, and Tanya emerged victorious. She was proud of course, but ready for some well deserved rest. "I'm just happy it's over."

Tanya Wagner Interview video ... [wmv] [mov]

In a deleted clip from, "In Pursuit Of Sunday," by Again Faster, Affiliate teams use different strategies to maximize their points in the North Pad Event.

Will Dotterweich of CrossFit Sacramento tripled 245 on his overhead squat and narrowly missed 275, as the crowd watched on. "I've been training the snatch a lot, so this event just fit into my training really well."

CrossFit Silicon Valley took a more relaxed approach. "Plenty of time, plenty of time," said a casual looking Tim Dymmel. Something paid off and Silicon Valley finished fifth in the North Pad Event. CrossFit Norcal took first overall for the event, with a score of 958.

Affiliate North Pad Action ... [wmv] [mov]

CrossFit Oakland was crowned the 2008 CrossFit Affiliate Cup Champions. After a rocky start in the stadium event this year, they were unable to close the gap for a berth in Sunday's final, despite an 8th place finish in the run event. Mike Minium, owner and coach of CrossFit Oakland, breaks down the weekend, and the changes his team will make for next years competition.

"We got hung up on the wall balls (in the stadium WOD) which cost us a lot of time." The weights were standard, but the target was set higher. All four athletes had to complete 30 reps before moving on. Mike was expecting to make some serious ground in the stadium event, but good plans often deteriorate when the clock starts. "What are you gonna do? That's competition."

The team managed to roll with the punches as well, despite their disappointment. "I'm proud of my team, after the first workout it would've been easy to give up... but in the very next workout we took first in our heat."

Going into the North Pad Event, Team Oakland knew their strategy was to just 'hang in there' as it was an area where they needed to develop more. They managed to finish the event with 764 points, keeping them right in the center of the competitor field.

On moving forward, Mike spoke like a wise competitor. "Weaknesses were exposed so we're gonna go back to the drawing board and figure out how to make us better as a team."

Video from, "In Pursuit Of Sunday," by Again Faster.

CrossFit Oakland Mike Minium Interview ... [wmv] [mov]

"You lift like a girl," should be taken as the highest of compliments, especially if the girl you refer to is Tanya Wagner, this years CrossFit Games Champion and the Fittest Woman Alive. Tanya solidified her lead with the second best performance overall in the Snatch Event.

Tanya entered Sunday with a two point lead over Annie Thorisdotter. In the snatch event she lifted 135 pounds, ten pounds less than Tamara Holmes, but enough to maintain her lead in the overall competition.

Women's Snatch Heat 2 Video ... [wmv] [mov]

Mikko Salo is opening an affiliate. From the new box he speaks about his plans for programming. "We will probably follow one cycle behind main site because it's great programming and it's enough for 99 percent of the people."

He recognizes that top Games competitors may need to supplement with additional workouts in order to win the CrossFit Games. However, all too often he sees people attempt too much right out of the gate. "We have seen guys, like in our firehouse, that get hungrier and hungrier and they want to do more than just the workout of the day. They'll make it like three or four days for maybe three cycles and then they burn out."

Mikko is going to be careful to indoctrinate clients slowly to allow proper adaptation.

Mikko on Programming video (also seen on the main site) ... [wmv] [mov]

Cyndi Frieling came to this year's Games with a 365lb deadlift PR in her back pocket. The hopper worked in her favor for the second event.

Many doubted that any men would make it through the gauntlet of bars in the deadlift competition. The expectations for the women, as echoed by some spectators, were lessened still. However, in spite of an unforgiving schedule, extreme heat and fatigue, PRs were the rule instead of the exception. The power of screaming fans and performance pressures that athletes face are intangibles that cannot be quantified.

Cyndi, from CrossFit Mesquite, inspired the whole stadium when she pulled a ten pound personal best, and became the only female to complete the entire event. She finished 21st at the 2008 CrossFit Games and rode a third place finish in the Great Basin Qualifier into this years competition.

Cyndi Frieling Deadlift Video ... [wmv] [mov]

Finally some concrete evidence that Mikko Salo is indeed human. From his hometown in Finland Mikko talks about how he dealt with the stresses dealt to his body from the demands of the games. Mikko woke up with cold sweats at 2 am on Sunday morning. "It was like sleeping in a pool... the night was a bit strange for me." But he rallied and pulled through for an amazing second day. "In the morning, I felt fine."

He also talks about how hard it was to refuel during the tenuous two days of competition. "Eating was hard for me...I wasn't hungry." He found it hard to choke down food even after both full days of hard work. "I knew I needed the energy, so I had to eat everything. But it was a bit of a struggle for me."

The competition was so intense, in fact, that Mikko's victory celebration party ended early with one beer, lots of untouched food and a very early bedtime. "It was a wise decision at that point."

Eating with Mikko ... [wmv] [mov]

Think you had a gnarly commute to the CrossFit Games. The affiliate team from CrossFit Copenhagen in Denmark spent a cool 20 hours in the air closing the roughly 6,000 miles to Aromas. Pair that with a short notice entry into the competition and their presence is all the more impressive.

They finished the weekend in the 41st spot, highlighted by securing 20th overall in the run event.

This video, From "In Pursuit Of Sunday," by Again Faster, follows the team through Fridays events.

CrossFit Copenhagen video (also seen on the main site) ... [wmv] [mov]

CrossFit Central entered this year's Affiliate Cup as a favorite. Owned by Jeremy Thiel, who finished 3rd in the 08 Games, Central sent four competitors to the individual competition, dominating the Hell's Half Acre Qualifier. With such a high concentration of elite athletes, there was little doubt the affiliate team would be a force.

Andy Lewis, a coach at Central, narrates a portion of this clip from, "In Pursuit Of Sunday," by Again Faster. He describes being humbled by the Aromas hill, in spite of having a strong running base.

"My arms and legs, my chest and stomach were blue... just from lack of oxygen that my lungs took up from the hill. The strategy was for me to get the lead, then the ladies would maintain it." Kris Kepler, a competitor in the 2008 Games, served as anchor for Central and managed to keep them at the front of the pack.

Kepler rallied, and Central had the fastest time up to that point in the competition. CrossFit Flagstaff followed with CrossFit Copenhagen finishing a dramatic third. By the end of the day, Oregon CrossFit had the fastest time at 11:09.

CrossFit Central finished second overall in the Affiliate Cup competition, just behind Northwest CrossFit and one point ahead of CrossFit NorCal.

Central Run video ... [wmv] [mov]

Sometimes laughter is the best medicine. Pat Sherwood, of CrossFit HQ, is quick to deliver humor in most situations. On the eve of the competition, after the daunting itinerary of challenges had been announced, Pat needed a dose himself. "I'm here to go as far as I can and then cheer for Chris Spealler," he said.Sherwood finished sixth in the Mid-Atlantic Qualifiers in 2009.

After talking about strategy for the Affiliate North Pad WOD, conversation turned toward the 7 kilometer run, namely strategy for the downhill portion. "I'm calling it controlled falling... I guess... I'm gonna try not to roll both of my ankles and dislocate my hips. If all else fails, I may jump on Rob Orlando's back and ride along, like Yoda."

He commented on the formatting of the Games as well, which was not exactly to his liking. "I like to deadlift fresh... so the deadlift event is going to be a unique experience. We shall see."

Sherwood Interview ... [wmv] [mov]

What started as "just a good run" ended as a dream come true. As you can see in this video, Mikko is sportsmanship incarnate and the rightful proprietor of the title, World's Fittest Man 2009.

Whether a cause or effect of their training, CrossFit champions tend to exemplify the very best ethos of sport. Mikko is no exception. The firefighter and rescue diver from Finland embodies the spirit of the Games.

One of the amazing traits of Mikko is that he never seems fazed. He approached each event with an air of amusement. When he had reps taken away from him, he just kept going. Even after the brutal final chipper, which he completed nearly two minutes faster than any other competitor, he kept his humor and his humility.

"It's the ending I dreamed of," Mikko said in response to whether this was the result he wanted. "Not what I wanted ... dreamed of."

Mikko Champion Montage video ... [wmv] [mov]

"Unknown and Unknowable." A hopper containing any imaginable physical task is one of four theoretical pillars upon which CrossFit's definition of fitness is built. Ditch digging, equipment transportation and buddy carries are all scenarios that an individual may face in their lifetime. As such, they are fair game for a CrossFit challenge.

The sledge hammer/row event came out of the hopper this year, to the dismay of some top athletes. "This event here might just end my day," Josh Everett joked seconds before entering the stadium.

After a 500m row, athletes were tasked with driving a stake (4' long, 1.25" diameter) until no more than six inches remained above the ground. That area of the stadium had been dug out and repacked to a consistent density. The event was completed with another 500 meter row on the Concept 2 rower.

Tommy Hackenbruck of UTE CrossFit demonstrated how a past in carpentry could lend itself to proficiency with a sledge hammer, setting the bar for men with a best time of 4:36, just seconds ahead of Jeff Leonard and Moe Kelsey.

The fastest female was Sarah Dunsmore from CrossFit Durham (5:33), followed closely by Katie Hogan from Valley CrossFit (5:43).

Sledge Event Intro video ... [wmv] [mov]

"The men and women competing here today have legitimate claim to the title, "Fittest Men and Women on Earth," by the same rights and logic that the Lakers, the Steelers, the Penguins and the Phillies are the best basketball team, football team, hockey team and baseball team on Earth."

-Greg Glassman, at the Inception of the 2009 CrossFit Games

As a strength and conditioning program, the goal of CrossFit is to consistently exceed the capacities of its athletes, including the world's fittest humans. No matter where you are in life, gains in fitness cannot be achieved without discomfort. Of course, that pain shouldn't be excessive, nor should it be just for its own sake (it's easy to create a painful workout that doesn't lead to much). But, there is certainly a high correlation between competency in life and tolerance of discomfort.

Obviously, any attempt to determine the World's Fittest Humans must be, by definition, extremely arduous. Was this year's Games enough, or did we make it too hard?

Is This Too Hard? video ... [wmv] [mov]

The Snatch Event on Day 2 of this year's Games was the first of its kind. Each athlete had ten minutes to work up to a one rep maximum effort in the snatch, loosely defined with a few key requirements. Each athlete and their own bar, and nine others were competing at the same time. Pressing out and knees hitting the deck were permitting, though assisting the bar with any other part of your body was not.

The women in the first heat were impressive. Tamara Holmes was the runaway victor for the event with a 145lb lift. Crystal McReynolds lifted 125lbs. Jenny Olson got 120, while both Jolie Gentry and Laura Demarco snatched 115lbs each.

The second heat put up similarly competitive numbers. Both Lindsey Smith and Kristan Clever snatched 130lbs. Tanya Wagner, the overall champion, finished second with 135lbs.

This video from Carey Peterson shows the last minutes of the first heat. The clock approached the 10min mark, and the women dug in to push their limits. The pressure was on. Only sixteen women remained in the competition. Every point counted, as only 24 points separated first place from fifth place. Most of these competitors had already achieved their best lifts and were trying for one more jump.

Women's First Snatch Heat video ... [wmv] [mov]