Dubai CrossFit Championship: Can Sigmundsdottir and Briggs hold off Davidsdottir, or will Greene and Frey upset the order?
- The four top women from last year’s competition are back to fight for first place, but the two-time Fittest on Earth is added to the hotly contested Sanctional
Last year, the women’s competition at the Dubai CrossFit Championship (DCC) was one of the most tightly contested individual battles the sport has seen. Four women were in position to win with only one event remaining. All four are back for DCC 2019. But there’s also a new competitor who might just spoil it for them.
Samantha Briggs, 37, 2013 Fittest on Earth, was the eventual champion of the DCC 2018. Jamie Greene, 28, did everything she could to hang tough, but ultimately settled for second. Sara Sigmundsdottir, 27, coming off some rehab from injuries she had suffered a few months earlier at the 2018 CrossFit Games, finished third.
Young Slovakian national champion Karin Frey, 24, placed fourth. This year, Katrin Davidsdottir, two times Fittest on Earth, has joined the party. Things have changed in the past 12 months.
Frey is a year older and has a significant amount of additional experience under her belt. The DDC was her only Sanctional last year, but the experience was invaluable. Fourth place at the DCC behind three perennial games athletes, two of whom have multiple podium finishes, is a serious accomplishment. She then went on to participate in her first CrossFit Games, where she finished 22nd.
Some athletes have used the new season to participate in many Sanctioned events, but I’m not so sure it’s the wisest choice for everyone, especially young athletes. Competitive experience is beneficial, but to really excel at the highest level, some athletes need to spend most of their time training, not competing, in their formative years. I expect we will see an even stronger Frey this year.