CrossFit’s 2019 Rogue Invitational: Mat Fraser, Tia-Clair Toomey and Rich Froning look to reign supreme in Games warm-up
- Columbus, Ohio will host the season’s marquee ‘Sanctionals’, bringing a large portion of the top CrossFit athletes together
- Top men and women will compete before CrossFit Games kicks off in August in Madison, Wisconsin
This weekend, fans will get preview of what might transpire at the 2019 CrossFit Games, with the Rogue Invitational starting on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio. A CrossFit “Sanctionals”, it will run for two days and is a who’s who of the sport’s stars.
On the women’s side, the Australian Toomey, who tied for sixth at the CrossFit Open, also came second twice at the Games in 2016 and 2015 before winning back to back “Fittest on Earth” honours. Challenging Fraser for the top spot will be 28-year-old Patrick Vellner, who came second at the 2018 Games. Vellner, who qualified via the Wodapalooza Sanctionals, held in January in Miami, came 30th in the Open.
“I’m in as good a position as anyone in the field to take a run at Mat,” Vellner told the South China Morning Post. “One thing is for sure, he’s definitely not going to lay down for anyone.”
Rounding out the top competitors for the men is Sweden’s Lukas Hogberg, who came third at the 2018 Games and 21st in the Open.
On the women’s side, Toomey said she is primed to make it three in a row and she isn’t taking anyone lightly. “Everyone is competing for the title and I respect them all and will never underestimate them as a competitor. However, I can only control what I do so this year’s goal is to be fitter and better than I was last year.”