CrossFit is the pursuit of power, plain and simple. In practice we utilize movements that are best suited to that end and focus on the sound mechanics that lead to optimal force production. However, in the competition format it's completion of the designated task that determines the winner, not the technical nuances or stylistic interpretations of them. That's consistent to all of sport and life.
Going into the snatch event, Annie Thorisdotter had very little exposure to the olympic lifts and trained mostly with bodyweight movements. Frustration nearly got the better of her when she temporarily lost her nerve in the warm up area. In the end she managed to pull a weight that was competitive with women who had been practicing the lifts for years.
Coach Mike Burgener of Mike's Gym, praised the event and also noted the drastic improvement in technique from five years ago. "I tell you if we did this event five, even four years ago, it would've been God ugly, but some of these guys... the technique is unbelievable."
In particular he hails James "OPT" Fitzgerald of CrossFit Calgary and Spencer Hendel of CrossFit Charlotte. OPT snatched 175 pounds to tie with David Millar, of CrossFit Marina and Iceland Sven from Bootcamp. They each received 13 points for the event. Hendel matched Jason Khalipa and DJ Wickham with a 225 pound pull. Jeff Leonard was in a class of his own with a 240 pound lift.
9 comments on this entry.
1. Eric Barber wrote...
October 28, 2009 10:34 AM
"I tell you if we did this event five, even four years ago, it would've been God ugly, but some of these guys... the technique is unbelievable." - Coach Burgener
It's because of all the hard work you've put into the CF community, Coach B!
Thank you for believing in and pushing us. Your certification helped me tremendously.
Hey Tony... what about coming up with a Certification for those wanting to be a Judge?
Certified Judges might be the way to go as the CF Games get bigger and more respected.
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2. dan wrote...
October 28, 2009 12:50 PM
annie does have about 25lbs on jolie
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3. Julie C wrote...
October 28, 2009 2:01 PM
yeeeesssss......but Annie had never lifted before and Jolie had expert instruction from the guys at catalyst in preperation for the games.
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4. jake wrote...
October 28, 2009 4:51 PM
jeff leonard has about 25 lbs on khalipa too, but I don't remember body weight mattering in this wod.
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5. dan replied to comment from Julie C...
October 28, 2009 8:31 PM
... and it's the expert instruction and technical nuances that allowed jolie to perform well, which is snatching near her bodyweight.
if annie had better grasp of the "technical nuances" she could probably have won the snatch WOD because of her athleticism.
there's no point of being iconoclastic for its own sake.
we should laud raw ability but not its immaturity and encourage its refinement for the sake of efficiency and improved power output.
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6. Sam Radetsky replied to comment from Eric Barber...
October 29, 2009 12:01 PM
Dude, come on please!!!!! Why in the hell would Tony think about charging people to become a judge. Think about it dumbass. If you got your Level 1 already then you are a qualified judge of the CrossFit standard. I bet you have one of those gyms where you charge for water. I should be paid to be a judge dude. COME ON!!!!!!
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7. Eric Barber replied to comment from Sam Radetsky...
November 1, 2009 1:42 PM
Sam,
I wasn't thinking about it in terms of charging people to be a Judge. At all.
It was a simply a suggestion that I thought of after watching the video of Tucker having to scramble around on the day of the Games to find volunteers to help judge.
It was also after reading the posts of people who were at the Games who said that certain judges held different standards than others.
I believe in the standards of excellence that CrossFit HQ demands. I thought that when one would introduce themself as a "Certified ("Registered" - whatever) Judge", it would have the same effect as introducing oneself as a "Level Two Crossfit Trainer". Earned respect and high standards. That's all.
Concerning your comment that any Level 1 is qualified to be a judge, I couldn't disagree more. I've met many Level One's who couldn't even run a class, let alone be a Judge at the CrossFit Games.
As for your comment about charging for bottled water, yeah I do. I got the idea from a well respected CF trainer and Games competitor who was concerned that I wasn't making enough money for how much heart and soul I pour into my athletes and my gym. Truth is, I give those small profits to my wife to have some extra spending money for herself and the kids.
Knowing Tony, if it was worth noting, he's already all over it. If the idea's dumb, he's already thrown it out.
Looking forward to meeting you one day, face to face. - Eric
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8. Rainer Hartmann wrote...
November 6, 2009 10:36 AM
In regards to Eric's idea:
I'd think it would be great to have judges go through some kind of certification or seminar before they are allowed to judge at the Games (or Qualifiers) to have everybody on the same page. I agree with Eric that just having a Level 1 doesn't give you nearly the experience/knowledge necessary to judge. Every other sport out there (as far as I know)has their judges go through some kind of training/qualifying first.
I also charge for water at my place, but I also have a water fountain here, so you can have it for free as well, your choice. That was definitely a stupid comment, Sam, why should he give out water for free?
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9. Turk39bauca replied to comment from Rainer Hartmann...
November 10, 2009 7:34 PM
This Rainer guy and Eric guy are all wrong. Judging is a privelege of very few. Level 1 CFers are the ones who know the standard. Who else? Running out of money and I'm not making enough? WTF? I say Sam knows his S#*% more than you two know!!!! Sam is a better athlete and affiliate than you'll ever be. Who is this ERIC??
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