Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

If your feelings were hurt because one of your favorite athletes didn't make it to the Games, I get it. But I don't understand how people can say it wasn't right for Sam to make it. They judge the fittest by a specific set of events and if you do so bad in one that you can't make it to the next round, by that set of standards, you were not the fittest that year. If someone is a 95% free throw shooter, their team is down by one with 2 seconds left and they get sent to the line and miss both shots, you don't put them through to the next round just because they were technically a better team/they deserved to go/99 times out of 100 he makes that shot.

Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

Briggs didn't fail to qualify for the Games last year just because of handstand walking. She was 6 points behind 3rd place. She got 5th on the 1rm hang snatch and 8th on the pull ups/OHS event.

A common thread between all these events: overhead stability. That is a pretty big weakness to have if you are contending to be a Games-level athlete.

Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

[QUOTE=Michael Cook;1252317]Briggs didn't fail to qualify for the Games last year just because of handstand walking. She was 6 points behind 3rd place. She got 5th on the 1rm hang snatch and 8th on the pull ups/OHS event.

A common thread between all these events: overhead stability. That is a pretty big weakness to have if you are contending to be a Games-level athlete.[/QUOTE]

Yep. What people are ignoring is Sam still had a chance to make the games going into the last event. She didn't perform well enough in that event and that cost her.

Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

[QUOTE=Michael Cook;1252317]Briggs didn't fail to qualify for the Games last year just because of handstand walking.[/QUOTE]

actually, that is exactly why. I'll say it again. I am 100% ok with how things shook up last year. I think it was a great 2014 games, and Camille deserved the win, earned the win and is the current champion. The same is said for those that did actually qualify for the games last year. They all earned it, deserve it, have my respect, etc. etc. Just as if Fraser (or anyone else) wins the games this year. It doesn't diminish it because Rich and Jason aren't there. Would I love to see them compete as individuals? Any fan would, but it is what it is.

I have no true feelings on it (I'm just throwin' words and feeding the conversation, debate, whatever). I'm not even a specifically GO BRIGGS fan. She is one of the best in the world, just like Annie, Cami, Kara, this person and that person. [B]I was simply backing up a bit of what Dave was saying about the effect that something very specific like Handstand walking can have on a competition where the talk is "the fittest on earth."[/B]

Annie [B]won[/B] the Europe regional last year with 30 total points. If you subtract the HS walk event, Briggs had 18 total points. To say it wasn't solely the HS walk event is a bit ridiculous. So the point is, I get it..she didn't go, I'm good. It was great either way. In the conversation of "she wasn't [B]fit[/B] enough because of a HS walk" I'm callin' straight BS on that.

At the end of the day, I think they (HQ?) realized how that entire process can lead to a bit of a hiccup and debate which is why this year, there are line markers, where if you fall, you just move back some. Do you think that was on accident? Coincidence? Or perhaps, I and the world knew that arguably (obviously) the fittest woman on the planet was out of the games because of more of a technicality than an actual failure to display fitness..

I see it exactly like the random video I found of Usain Bolt getting DQ'd because he jumped the gun in a 100m race. He, just like Briggs in the HS walk fall, made a mistake. An error. Because of that, they both should NOT have made it to the next round and they both did not. That is how the game is played, that is why it is played and I agree and respect that 100%. However, because of that, it isn't accurate to say that since Bolt didn't make the 100m final, he was no longer the fastest man on the planet or that he wasn't fast enough to even be in the conversation for it. The same goes for Briggs. Its identical to me (and again, not Briggs rah rah. It could be anybody. I'm glad they made the HS walk markers this year to prevent a slip-up to help those that should be there, truly be there).

Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

I think this is a difference of saying someone doesn't "deserve" to go to the games because they didn't place high enough at regionals, and saying someone isn't "fit" enough that year to deserve a spot at the games.

The pro-Regionals camp would say Briggs did not deserve to go to the games because she wasn't good enough to make it out of her region. But those people must also believe that Regionals is a perfect test without any flaws, and always meets its goal of sending the right people to the games.

We can all agree Briggs was fit enough last year to be considered one of the fittest in the world, and she probably would have made the podium at the games; however, given the test she was given at Regionals, she did not qualify. Regionals is a great test and typically achieves its goal of sending the fittest people to the Games, but it's not without its flaws. It is not a perfect test, and sometimes people will slip through the cracks.

Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

This guy gets it

[QUOTE=Richard Colon;1252320]actually, that is exactly why. I'll say it again. I am 100% ok with how things shook up last year. I think it was a great 2014 games, and Camille deserved the win, earned the win and is the current champion. The same is said for those that did actually qualify for the games last year. They all earned it, deserve it, have my respect, etc. etc. Just as if Fraser (or anyone else) wins the games this year. It doesn't diminish it because Rich and Jason aren't there. Would I love to see them compete as individuals? Any fan would, but it is what it is.

I have no true feelings on it (I'm just throwin' words and feeding the conversation, debate, whatever). I'm not even a specifically GO BRIGGS fan. She is one of the best in the world, just like Annie, Cami, Kara, this person and that person. [B]I was simply backing up a bit of what Dave was saying about the effect that something very specific like Handstand walking can have on a competition where the talk is "the fittest on earth."[/B]

Annie [B]won[/B] the Europe regional last year with 30 total points. If you subtract the HS walk event, Briggs had 18 total points. To say it wasn't solely the HS walk event is a bit ridiculous. So the point is, I get it..she didn't go, I'm good. It was great either way. In the conversation of "she wasn't [B]fit[/B] enough because of a HS walk" I'm callin' straight BS on that.

At the end of the day, I think they (HQ?) realized how that entire process can lead to a bit of a hiccup and debate which is why this year, there are line markers, where if you fall, you just move back some. Do you think that was on accident? Coincidence? Or perhaps, I and the world knew that arguably (obviously) the fittest woman on the planet was out of the games because of more of a technicality than an actual failure to display fitness..

I see it exactly like the random video I found of Usain Bolt getting DQ'd because he jumped the gun in a 100m race. He, just like Briggs in the HS walk fall, made a mistake. An error. Because of that, they both should NOT have made it to the next round and they both did not. That is how the game is played, that is why it is played and I agree and respect that 100%. However, because of that, it isn't accurate to say that since Bolt didn't make the 100m final, he was no longer the fastest man on the planet or that he wasn't fast enough to even be in the conversation for it. The same goes for Briggs. Its identical to me (and again, not Briggs rah rah. It could be anybody. I'm glad they made the HS walk markers this year to prevent a slip-up to help those that should be there, truly be there).[/QUOTE]

Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

I think that crossfit HQ is getting smarter. The handstand mark is an upgrade on things.. now the HS Walk having to go back to the last 10' hash mark to start the next effort.

Yes Castro has a hard on for HSPU, HSW and overhead squats right now.. just a phase.. now starting GHD seen in the games 2 or 3 times prior.. heck whats next TGU?

WTBS- I have to push on the GHD's and HSW... they must be coming on the Masters games.

Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

I see the point you're trying to make, Richard. As I read it, I was expecting you to go a different direction:

- Was Sam really the Fittest on Earth if she was less than proficient at handstand walking?

She completed an 80' handstand walk as part of the 2013 Games, the year she won.

The window is closing (or already closed) for this opportunity, but is there still some part of the Games competition that the athlete who wins gets lucky and has events play to their strengths?

I was going to make the point that maybe the events in 2014 were more gymnastics and bodyweight, and favored Camille winning. Now that I look back at how many heavy events and movements were a part of the 2014 Games, it really speaks to how well Camille improved her strength with the barbell.

Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

The women are so close that the person who shows up ready the most and has some wheelhouse workouts handed and hangs on the stuff that others are better will win. Annie, Sam, CLB, Julie, Webb, Emily B, Lindsey V, Miss Fischer.. and possibly others...

Rich F ruins it with being so consistent and winning all of the time. Heck with a few rope climbs he would have a perfect record. Will be interesting to see how his team goes.. his women will have to step up.. the guys are great so far. I think that only a couple of guys have a chance. Scott P, Matt F, Ben S real short list.

But first you have to make it to the games thru regionals. All of these people should make it thru.. the super regionals help them out considerably. They can have a mediocre workout and still go.

If Sam heals the back well she is the front runner in my book.

Matt F is a sure front runner winning the open.

Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

:horse: Everyone's got their opinion about this or that movement or workout, or heck, entire competition being a more or less valid test of fitness.

I know it really rubs some people the wrong way, but this one guy named Dave Castro gets to have a huge and probably disproportionate say each year in deciding what the CrossFit Games will test. Each year thus far it becomes more apparent, as the breadth and depth of each series of tests have increased markedly, along with the ability and visibility of the athletes participating. And because it is, let's be honest, the only game in town, he gets to essentially make a subjective set of calls that "define fitness" for a period of time called The CrossFit Games Season. You can protest this by not participating or by not training in a way geared towards his tests, and you can be perfectly happy doing this as long as you have no issue never coming within eyesight of competing on that particular stage. Maybe you can start your own league or competition, a few have tried with little success so far.

Most of the high level athletes out there just acknowledge "it is what it is" for now, perhaps sprinkled with a bit of deference and humility for CrossFit's leaders taking a pretty radical, pie-in-the-sky idea and making it an imperfect but improving reality in a relatively short amount of time. Handstand walks are a legit and hard test of SOMETHING relevant to fitness overall. IMHO. It certainly isn't rocket science, doing your laundry or tying your shoes for time, which might arguably be quite irrelevant to physical fitness. Maybe ;).

Maybe some day there will be a committee and/or texting of your vote for what pops up at these competitions. For my part, who cares?! It is a great thing for our cultures and communities that the games exist at all with all their imperfections, and we all get to be inspired to make ourselves better by striving for them or by just coming along for the ride.

/$0.02