Fitness Competition

[Matthew Gogel]

Is it accurate to say that crossfit games athletes have world class strength, but would not make the varsity squad on most high school cross country teams?

[Sean J Hunter]

STRENGTH
I would say Games athlete would be similar to perhaps a world regional Olympic Lifting meet.
According to their Games profile, Froning, Smith, and Fraser have Oly totals varying from 3.25 - 3.63 of their body weight.

In comparison, these ratios would have landed these guys perhaps 19th or 20th out of 20 in the 85kg men's category at the 2016 games.
So yeah, world class would be fare.

Using their games profiles isn't the most accurate way to compare this stuff, but it's the best we've got.


CROSS COUNTRY
If we compare the 5km run times. (Yeah, I know these are track or road times not off-road, but again the best we've got.)
Of these three, only Smith posts a time of 20:20
Others in the top 5 from the last few years who have a posted a 5km time.
Garard = 17:32
Biley = 19:00
Vellner = 19:18
Guðmundsson = 19:20
Hendel = 20:32
Khalipa = 23:20

These guys would fall about halfway down the roster of a typical US high school Senior Year Cross Country team. The 46th Percentile to be exact

So I wouldn't say they wouldn't make the Varsity team, they'd probably do OK. sub 20:00 isn't too bad for a 5km, but it sure aint the sub 15:00 needed to be really competitive.

However, point of order, the Stillman height/weight ratio table says a 5'11" runner should ideally weigh around 75kg, the Games guys are weighing in at around an extra 10-15 kg. Try doing your next meet with 25 lbs strapped to your back.

The Games really is geared more as a Power and Recovery sport, then a true generalist sport, as Crossfit WODs tend to be around the 10-15 minute mark and often shorter, and often incl short breaks, a few seconds to as much as 30-40 sec. long.

If it helps, for comparison the world record for the 5,000m in the Icosathlon is 18:46, not too far off the Games guys average of 19:50.

HTH

Sean

[Vic McQuaide]

I feel that if they put running in the open (which they really can't) and or Regionals and more Games and let it be known that a 5k was going to be in. I feel that the times would go down considerably. I was a below average HS Jr. V runner but did it under 18 min. I believe that I got under a 5 min mile one time at the start of an event when they put me in the Varsity. Blew up after that.

[Jason A Smith]

For the most part (to me) it seems that elite level Crossfit athletes would be the most competitive in weightlifting. There are likely numerous reasons for it but my guess is that weight class is one of them. There are few other sports that Crossfit utilizes that offer weight classes, except maybe rowing, but most people that are good at Crossfit are not tall, which is really favourable in rowing.

But I would agree with the statement. Most guys/girls have gotten much better at aerobic work the past several years while maintaining really good strength numbers.

While the cross country reference is good, even funnier wold be to see anyone try to crossover to real gymnastics. The ladies seem to cross over from there well but not a lot of men.

[Sean J Hunter]

Sorry when I said

In comparison, these ratios would have landed these guys perhaps 19th or 20th out of 20 in the 85kg men's category at the 2016 games.
So yeah, world class would be fare.

I was referring to comparing the guys Oly Totals to the 85 kg men's Oly lifting results at the 2016 Olympic Games

[Alex Burden]

Compare them with this to get a better idea...

http://www.running2win.com/calculato...Calculator.asp WFS

Age grading is a way of putting all race participants on a level playing field, regardless of age or gender. This age grade calculator lets you compare your race times to older and younger runners, as well as those of the opposite sex. Simply input your data and your age-graded score and age-graded time will appear

[Alex Burden]

For example:

Dan Bailey @ 180lbs, age 33. 19min 5K = 16.59
Ricky Garad @ 194lbs, age 23, 17.32 5K = 15.51

even for myself, 48, 218lbs time 24min = 18.28

So if you are going to compare then it needs to be done right.