Mat Fraser and Tia-Clair Toomey win the CrossFit Games again and cuts suck: here are five things we learned
- Noah Ohlsen is super cool, Mat Fraser is (somewhat) human, Tia-Clair Toomey is not, and the Canadians were nowhere to be seen
With the 2019 CrossFit Games in the books, this year will go down as one of the most interesting and intriguing competitions in years. A brand new qualifying structure, country champions and Sanctionals looked to throw a monkey wrench into the finals, and they most definitely did. Marquee names got cut, and new faces ended up on the podium.
So, what did we learn from the 2019 CrossFit Games? Well, some things change, some things stay the same, and you can bet there is a lot to take in and digest as we get set for next year. Here are five things to chew on as we all eagerly await the Pandaland CrossFit Challenge in December in China, which will be the first Sanctionals of the new 2020 season.
Noah Ohlsen proves Mat Fraser is (somewhat) human
First off, how cool is Noah Ohlsen? He was spotted after the Swim Paddle signing autographs and chatting with fans, thanking them for coming out to support him and the other athletes on their quests. His sunny disposition is incredibly infectious and, quite frankly, a breath of fresh air. Most of the top CrossFit athletes are all business, but Ohlsen looks like he’s on permanent vacation and always has a smile on his face.
What people miss is that under his laid-back exterior, Ohlsen may be one of the fiercest competitors the sport has ever seen. Since 2014, he’s been at the big dance every year, and yet never even tasted the podium. While many other athletes have compelling stories of adversity, we might have to move Ohlsen’s up to the top. He came fourth in 2017, and then sixth last year, so close yet so far to making the podium. He’s never commanded the most attention, probably because people want to write him off given his personality is not cookie-cutter intense, a common characteristic for CrossFit athletes during competitions.