2022 CrossFit Games Women's Predictions

The 2022 CrossFit Games looks like it's going to be one to remember!

Chad is joined again by Ian Childs, a local CrossFit fan and sports analyst, who sits down and, this time dives into the Women's competition at the 2022 CrossFit Games.

Can anyone stop Tia-Clari Toomey's dominance?
Can Mal O'Brian live up to the expectations?
Will Emma Lawson make a splash at her first elite field?
Are we seeing a new wave of European stars emerge?
Will the recent training camp change for Danielle Brandon affect the leaderboard?

The guys continue tossing a few hot takes in the women's field.

Tune in to learn about podium finishers, Top 10, Dark Horse performance, Breakout performance and Rookie of the year.

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Transcript

Chad [0:00 - 0:15]
Hey everyone. Thanks for tuning in. Just a quick item before we start the pod. I apologize for the sound quality in this episode. We're working on new setup and unfortunately didn't work out so well this time we take quality as a high priority for our listeners and we're sure we fix this moving forward. Thanks again for listening. And I hope you enjoyed the episode

Chad [0:21 - 0:36]
community of members, coaches and professionals, working as a team of like minded individuals in constant pursuit, connecting this exclusive group with the tools and resources they require to live a high performance lifestyle, conquering what life has thrown at them. We are living the fit life.

Chad [0:39 - 0:50]
Welcome to living to fit like podcast, episode 57 special. Yes, Child's Special analysis. Good.

Ian [0:50 - 0:53]
Two weeks in a row. I'm on this pod. What a treat.

Chad [0:53 - 1:00]
Yes. And so hopefully everyone has listened to Men's edition

Ian [1:00 - 1:04]
by the time this one comes out, it'll be one week before the games, right? I think something like that. Yeah,

Chad [1:06 - 1:07]
I

Ian [1:07 - 1:33]
think so. I think that's right, that's right. I think just like the men's field, I think the women's field, we're gonna see some familiar names I think around, but there's a lot of young people, a lot of new people coming in. It's really cool year for crossfit overall for males and females because I just think we're getting a big, a big turnover in both male and female fields. So looking forward to it.

Chad [1:35 - 1:49]
I have to ask. I didn't ask this, but will we see any that supplementation?

Ian [1:49 - 1:57]
Yes, 100%. I think there will be

Chad [1:57 - 1:58]
no,

Ian [1:58 - 3:03]
I think it'll be after the games. I don't think it's gonna affect our podium. I think it's always those people who are new to exploring these things and don't know the timing of when to do it. I would love to say that it's just completely clean. I just know how there's a lot at stake for these people right? Like these athletes now we're on a let's call it a fringe sport right? They're not making top sport money. But if you're at the top of this sport there is now money to be made. And I think after years and years of maybe some lean times. That's what leads to those moments. It's just people reaching for that little extra percent to make maybe get some money a year earlier than they would if they kind of stayed the course. So yeah. I think there definitely will be some um some tainted shakes that they didn't know about. Yeah that's gonna be the for sure. The angle they took a cough syrup for their cough the night before. You know they didn't realize that H. D. H. Was in it. Yeah.

Chad [3:04 - 3:05]
Yeah

Ian [3:05 - 3:18]
that's right second. Remember Ross Rebagliati the olympics? I think it was Vancouver maybe before that. And it was like he got caught with marijuana in the system and said it was from a party secondhand. What a call love

Chad [3:18 - 3:43]
that. All right. So today we're diving into the women's field but before the women's field there was a request to ask this question, we're not doing a team prediction. Although I love watching the teams, but I think it's also a whole new world that we're not really super invested. But one of the big storylines is crossfit Reykjavik, Right, Annie

Ian [3:43 - 3:44]
Annie. I mean

Chad [3:44 - 3:50]
we're talking women's field crushed it last year. Long strength. She had one of the best moments of the entire

Ian [3:50 - 3:54]
Yeah, when she surprised herself with her 205 snatch I think

Chad [3:54 - 4:14]
going ahead to uh and you know, she podium. Um And then this year she decides to go team and so there's always been this back and forth with her and Rich for their O. G. S. They've been used to train together back in the day. Um And she kind of said specifically she's like she kind of wants to go and

Ian [4:14 - 4:17]
yeah, take take the title.

Chad [4:17 - 4:22]
So the question is, can any dethrone Rich,

Ian [4:23 - 5:41]
when you watched that team, the Reykjavik team, they look strong but they didn't look bulletproof or when you watch Mayhem going, they always look like and it's always a new roster featuring Rich, right? But he always finds people who can go somewhere and Annie, I think it's gonna be really awesome. Top end competition for teens. I don't know if Anne's team is gonna do it this year. I think she's still figuring out like how to be how to lead a team And I think it's gonna take a year. I think she's gonna be I think they're gonna threaten for sure. I think there's such a strong team, but I just mayhem is just pumping out. They have like three teams there again and there's three of their teams are probably finished top 10, top five, something like that. So, yeah, I still like uh I like there being a bit of growing pains and I think what you're gonna see is, and he's gonna come in and she's gonna uh improve her team for next year. Including Catherine, David stoddard, who I think will then I think this will be Catherine's time now to realize it's time to look for another way if she wants to stay in the sport. Um And I think Catherine will go over and will be Anne and Catherine and they'll find a couple other people as well, but I think they're gonna have a really strong games. I just don't know if they're gonna win.

Chad [5:42 - 5:46]
Yeah, the champ is the champ champ champ for a

Ian [5:46 - 5:49]
long time. Yeah. Rich knows what he's doing.

Chad [5:49 - 6:07]
Yeah, I don't I think him knowing that and he's in the race, he's just that much more prepared. Yeah. Right. Because he already knows the story line is gonna be, can I hear you? I think first year as a team the biggest splash, but she'll reform Shell. Yeah, yeah,

Ian [6:07 - 6:42]
Katherine's going over for sure. I think it's good. I think this will be the last I'm surprised anne went to team this year after her performance last year. She looks so strong. And when you watch any of the footage of her on the team, all the other athletes on her team are scared of her. They say she is an intimidating force who is just driving them really, really hard. So I think she still had that individual thing, but I think she really wants to be the queen of the sport, right? And just have all of it. Like Rich was Rich one individuals forever and then went on dominated team. I think she's thinking I want to be that version on the female side.

Chad [6:43 - 6:51]
Yeah, for sure. For sure. You can definitely see behind closed doors. Like Rich sending a text like bring a team come complete with me.

Ian [6:51 - 6:52]
Yeah, let's do. This

Chad [6:54 - 6:59]
is definitely the alpha. She's she looks, I mean, she looks better than she.

Ian [6:59 - 7:03]
The turtle shell abs are just like on the next level next level. Turtle show.

Chad [7:03 - 7:15]
Alright, alright. Let's get more specific to the ladies. Um Let's talk about the top five. Do we want to go five through one or should we go the other way?

Ian [7:15 - 7:25]
Just because it's the women's field. We can go the other way for this because I think there's more intrigue. And in, who else is gonna make up the top five than who we think will be one t is gonna win.

Chad [7:25 - 7:33]
My question was gonna be what could happen that team doesn't win.

Ian [7:33 - 8:38]
I think it would have to just be an injury I in my one of my hot takes, I'll jump to hear about Tia, I don't think she's gonna be as dominant as she has been. I don't think she's gonna be event win after event after event win. I think she's gonna consistently be in the top 3-5 in most of the events which is gonna again put her on top of everyone else. But I think there are gonna be people, there's specialists now who are coming out, we're gonna be able to beat her. I think in certain events when you watch T. A. And like watching her do something like Fran workout is terrifying, she is unrelenting, does not stop and just embarrasses the field, so if their workouts like that she's gonna destroy them. But I think some of the other types of events like a pure strength or you throw yolk into the girls and Laura Horvath has to be considered someone who's gonna take you down. I think Tia has has some vulnerabilities, but I don't think there's any way she's not first place unless she gets hurt and even then she may still win.

Chad [8:39 - 8:52]
Yeah, I mean yeah the handstand walking, she's not really great at usually there's a few but like you got semifinals, she doesn't even look like she was trying out there,

Ian [8:52 - 8:53]
That's the scary part,

Chad [8:55 - 8:57]
she was there because she was

Ian [8:57 - 8:58]
trying back in Australia and

Chad [8:58 - 9:13]
she's having a good time and she was there for the fans really right. And I want to, I want this so badly. I want to have to see the last day fight. I want the last day or she's not sure she will win.

Ian [9:13 - 9:17]
Imagine she's not wearing the leader's jersey on sunday. That would be amazing.

Chad [9:17 - 9:18]
I left, hold on.

Ian [9:18 - 9:20]
I

Chad [9:20 - 9:22]
think she wears the leader's jersey the entire

Ian [9:22 - 9:23]
week. Okay.

Chad [9:24 - 9:29]
I just want her to feel that there's two competitors behind her that can win,

Ian [9:29 - 9:30]
right?

Chad [9:30 - 9:35]
And like you're saying, keep it close and I want to go to bed on saturday night thinking

Ian [9:36 - 9:40]
like coming up with a strategy, not, not planning the parade route.

Chad [9:49 - 9:55]
We had no doubt in our mind, but in his mind, he's freaking out, right? I want you to freak out a little

Ian [9:55 - 10:41]
bit. Yeah, I want, I want to see under pressure. She just, it's scary though when she just transitioned again this year from bobsled, where again, you're seeing all the footage of her saying I'm 10 kg overweight or 15 kg overweight. I haven't done any fitness. I've just been pushing sleds and then she does the crossfit open almost as a joke and easily beats everybody does the quarterfinals and again, semifinals. It just looks pedestrian at this point, the way that she performs and I want more than anything to see her, like you're saying just finally have someone at least threatened knock on the door a little bit. I don't know what can you imagine what's motivating her at this point? That's what's so hard because you've now is five in a row. She's one right

Chad [10:41 - 10:48]
I think of

Ian [10:48 - 10:50]
all time. That's it. That's what sure thing is.

Chad [10:51 - 10:52]
Yeah

Ian [10:52 - 10:53]
so she went six. That's

Chad [10:53 - 10:54]
it.

Ian [10:54 - 10:57]
Right I guess that's it.

Chad [10:57 - 11:06]
There's no question team. Yeah. I don't think anybody will ever question that the

Ian [11:06 - 11:11]
greatest she is. Unbelievable. Yeah. I think she's number one. I think it's crazy if people pick anything else.

Chad [11:11 - 11:13]
Yeah I

Ian [11:13 - 11:14]
mean I

Chad [11:14 - 11:26]
think again it's always always let's move on from that. But who you have.

Ian [11:26 - 12:05]
Okay so my number, I'm looking at your list here, we have a similar top three. So I think Laura Horvath I think is going to finish second. I think she's gonna have a very strong games. I think she is she's just shown she does not look like she has the engine right? She's a bigger athlete but she has continued to show that she's capable of digging on high output and the events where you would think the extra size would be a detriment and she's amazing. I think Laura Horvath is amazing.

Chad [12:05 - 12:08]
Yeah

Ian [12:08 - 12:10]
I think she's she's gonna get second.

Chad [12:10 - 12:11]
Yeah

Ian [12:11 - 12:23]
I think she's gonna be so solid all weekend. But again doesn't have that extra thing that's going to get her past.

Chad [12:23 - 12:33]
I think she has a chance to P. T. F. U. Events and That person on day three

Ian [12:34 - 12:38]
just in her mind. Just give you something to think about.

Chad [12:38 - 12:40]
I

Ian [12:40 - 13:31]
think in a distant third, I don't think it's gonna be close. I think Tia and laura are gonna be you know a big chunk of points ahead but distant third, I was even gonna move this person further down but Mallow brian does look very good, she looks very scary, she really has the look of someone who could do some damage at an event like this and obviously with fraser as her coach, she's more and more when you watch her online looking resembling his style of competitiveness in a female form and I think she is going to be I think she's one of the people who's gonna nab a couple event wins from Tia this year and this is what I said, I don't think he is going to win, she'll win a few events but I don't think she'll win as many because I think someone like Mao is gonna come and just destroy her and watch some of these like high capacity events.

Chad [13:33 - 13:49]
Yeah I actually agree with you. It was hard for me to put mel third. I know yeah something about her the first time is the first event on the football field, I was like man she looks like a killer,

Ian [13:49 - 13:50]
absolute killer,

Chad [13:50 - 14:03]
absolute killer like because there was like people like she just stood out so much, I think it's a lot for us to ask for her to be on the podium this year, I think she's still obviously young

Ian [14:03 - 14:05]
and sort of second

Chad [14:05 - 14:29]
Year 2nd Year Division, I think there's a huge amount of expectations. So like there is a conversation about whether she'll develop those expectations um but there is something about like her matt, like you've heard rumblings that matt is trying to build a t a killer, like I don't think taught much anymore, I don't know if she's overly impressed with what he's doing, right?

Ian [14:38 - 14:49]
Yeah, and what a great thing for matt Frazier's coaching business to be like I was the coach who figured out how to be Tia and mal is terrifying.

Chad [14:49 - 15:04]
Yeah, for sure she's a killer that kind of but like, surprising for mat fraser to retire or hold hands with around the next year and grab what you sort of thought of

Ian [15:05 - 15:06]
2000.

Chad [15:06 - 15:06]
Yeah,

Ian [15:06 - 15:07]
exactly,

Chad [15:08 - 15:22]
exactly, it feels that way for sure. So it's, I don't think it's gonna happen, I think is gonna win this year, I think she's gonna choose to leave the sport at some point before she gets beat by now.

Ian [15:22 - 15:37]
I think Shannon and her are gonna want to make little Tias and chains as well pretty soon, like she's in that prime time and I'm not saying that for any other reason, but I I've heard her in conversations talking about how that's like an important part of what they want for their future, so yeah, I think if she goes out like this

Chad [15:38 - 15:40]
Yeah,

Ian [15:41 - 15:44]
again, like just like Anne did right? Yeah, for

Chad [15:44 - 15:51]
sure. Yeah. Come

Ian [15:51 - 16:37]
back and show them that, you know, I'm telling you these post post birth mothers and so many sports and endurance sports, there's so much evidence saying that these athletes come back stronger and then you see Annie thorisdottir er last year, do it, come back and truly shocked everybody by podium podium being on the podium, including herself. It was one of the coolest things to watch her last year continue because even leading up to the Games last year, there was questions about her pelvic floor stability, whether she was gonna be able to brace for these things and she had no, it was just going to be almost uh a final curtain call for her and then she puts on a show like that and I think that would be a cool little bow and on Tia's career as well if she came back post that now we're sending t off before she probably is ready to go off.

Chad [16:37 - 17:18]
But Kara making a big comeback this year and I have heard for, I wanted to put her on the podium and for the sole reason that she's the one athlete that knows how to be Tia, she's been there, she was going to and there was two years where Kara could have been the winner by like a millisecond, right, that they dropped that they're racing twice and so car knows that would be to their friends, their friends, their competitors. I mean, Kara didn't look like she had even had a chance to be here on a few things, but she was always number

Ian [17:18 - 17:19]
two.

Chad [17:19 - 17:28]
I have her high only because I think she can beat or come closer to you because she's got that she's

Ian [17:30 - 17:31]
yeah,

Chad [17:32 - 17:38]
anybody else but number four, I'm hopeful, hopeful last year was a tough year for her.

Ian [17:38 - 17:46]
Yeah, I think that's one of the reasons I've kind of put her where I have her, which isn't inside my top 10, but I definitely saw her in your top 10, and yeah.

Chad [17:46 - 17:55]
I mean she's a programming, I

Ian [17:55 - 19:09]
think it's a good pick. I think she could definitely because there's always a bounce back, There's always a story like that and that could be the one, my number four is Mayhem Zone Haley Adams, I think Haley, she's we know strength was always, she always had the engine, she could always compete on the, the high output kind of things. But strength has continued to be what's let her down when you watch her in any totals, that's where she gets hit and in the semi finals this year, it looked like she was actually putting up some competitive numbers and a couple of the events, I think again she's in the top five, but this isn't another if the game, if the events fall in her favor a little bit, if they Have more capacity stuff or maybe just cycling a light lighter barbell barbell weight or something like that. I think I really do think she can be a top five again, just like the men's field, I think we're gonna see this young youthful women's movement, which I'm gonna also talk about in the extent top 10 and I think Hayley's ready to be there. I don't think she's a podium person. I think it's a shame mall looks like she's just leapfrogged Haley, I don't think Haley's gonna be able to compete with now, but that might be crazy to say, but

Chad [19:09 - 19:12]
I, yeah,

Ian [19:12 - 19:27]
I just like watching Haley go, she just, she's so consistent all weekend long, she never gets higher. You don't see footage of her tantrum ng in the corner getting mad like you see, you know, some of the guys throwing chalk buckets, whatever, she just stays consistent, She's such a rich Froning protege.

Chad [19:28 - 19:47]
Yeah, totally. And yeah, she has gotten stronger, she's still young so she can get stronger and I imagine she's just constantly lifting weights, but there will be 23 workouts that will test her and she just needs me to get the damage, she can, she even outside, she has some bad finishes in the past, so top 10, so

Ian [19:47 - 20:15]
I love watching some of the video footage where it's rich just saying if he's not watching her supervising her, she'll try and sneak off and do like an hour bike or something like that and he's really trying to get her to understand that she just needs to focus on what she's her weaknesses are and then go home. And because he said he's a couple of times been like, okay Haley, I'm going back to the house, just finish stretching and then come home and then he'll find out she did an hour see to bike or whatever.

Chad [20:15 - 20:17]
So number

Ian [20:17 - 21:08]
five now this after what's happened in the last couple of weeks with this athlete, it's either gonna make or break this athlete and it's Danielle Brandon, I think she is a competitor but they're obviously we don't know have enough information. I certainly don't. There is something more to that story about leaving your team this close to the games switching coaches. There is a bigger story there that we don't know and I don't know if it, what it could possibly be. She does look like the kind of athlete, the word adversity might strengthen her a little bit, you know, having, right? So I I think Danielle, she looked really good in the semifinals. I think she is the kind of person who could just again Changed the top five a little bit. She, I think she could be in there.

Chad [21:08 - 21:22]
I didn't put in the top five because of those reasons. It's just too much uncertainty. But it seems like that's, that's kind of her viable. She's edgy. She's just like, she was like the whole Covid thing and just being separated like she

Ian [21:22 - 21:23]
handled that pretty well.

Chad [21:23 - 21:37]
Her coach super passionate people. You got to think that something just erupted and they're just not vibing anymore. But it is a risky, risky game. They're gonna leave and

Ian [21:37 - 21:38]
just

Chad [21:38 - 21:52]
coach new athletes new and how so that's a tough one but she's is a beast and she's for sure

Ian [21:52 - 22:23]
she's a beast. I think she's gonna be okay. But this is one of those things where it's like the bed was made by the other coach. Like she all of her all of her things are prepared this last month would just be polishing it a little bit, it might be next year will be different if she's switched to brute right? She's with brute strength right now. I think I just yeah, I think there's more to the story and that's the only worry is it could possibly get in the way of her doing better but it's a small community, she's gonna see her coach, her ex coach at the games probably.

Chad [22:24 - 22:29]
So you have three americans.

Ian [22:30 - 22:32]
Yeah, Mount Haley and Danielle.

Chad [22:32 - 22:58]
Um And this was tough when I when I put car fourth even though up there like I see this person as potentially podium is. I think some of what we talked about in the men's field, there's something going on in europe, we just don't see as much and she is leading that she was training a lot before bath early on. She's kind of going on

Ian [22:58 - 22:59]
her own and all.

Chad [22:59 - 23:11]
She looks legit, like she seems like she's got a good head on her shoulders and I think she, she'll surprise people. I think there's definitely some, I think the european athletes want to come over and prove

Ian [23:11 - 23:12]
something. I agree.

Chad [23:12 - 23:15]
She's one of those people leading the charge. Yeah.

Ian [23:15 - 23:39]
She actually has been training a little bit with um Jacqueline Dahlstrom and the the other daughter, What's Yeah, soul veeg is that her name? So they've been training a lot together. I've just seen them and I I do like that choice. I think Gabby's gonna be good. Yeah,

Chad [23:40 - 23:41]
so

Ian [23:43 - 23:52]
10, I think we are going to see a Brooke wells Top 10 last year

Chad [23:52 - 23:53]
was

Ian [23:55 - 24:37]
just I think Brooke it was devastating. It's still gross. And I do allow myself to watch that video from last year. I can't believe she's come back. I can't believe she's been as good as she is. I think one of the things going against Brooke for so long was she just didn't seem like she had the edge to be a top top athlete and now coming back from a devastating injury. Like that has just shown me something different and I like it. I think, I don't want to believe the Games are going to protect her, but I also know they're trying to grow the sport and I'm considering the possibility that some of these events are gonna be a little bit leaned a little bit to protect brooks

Chad [24:37 - 24:40]
elbow because

Ian [24:40 - 24:51]
she's one of their golden child, right? Like she has a big following. So I don't think you're gonna see macs snatch this year. I'll tell you that much. I think they're gonna steer clear of that. So I don't know,

Chad [24:51 - 25:10]
I mean good for you for doing this. I agree with you this injury, she's gonna be more edgy and I think if you're, she's gonna actually, this is gonna make her, she doesn't finish.

Ian [25:11 - 25:13]
You think so?

Chad [25:13 - 25:14]
I

Ian [25:14 - 25:32]
do worry about her being back at the site of the injury and then what kind of ghosts come up because I don't know, I don't think you can prepare for that, You're just gonna be there and you're the first thing she's gonna think when she steps on that floor is my elbow was no longer attached to the rest of my arm.

Chad [25:32 - 25:40]
I think it is amazing in itself. I don't think we can ask anymore.

Ian [25:40 - 25:42]
Right, well, I'm asking for a top 10.

Chad [25:42 - 25:43]
You are

Ian [25:45 - 25:54]
All right, the rest of my top 10. I know this is a homer pick, but I honestly think we're gonna see an Emma Lawson top

Chad [25:54 - 25:56]
10.

Ian [25:56 - 26:47]
Emma Lawson was so steady at that semi final. She did not get rattled when um who was the page Powers page Powers beat her on a couple of events and Emma could have got rattled, She was so composed, she was so calm. She she picked her spot, she knew where she was better and she made sure she won those. I think she and josh have got an athlete who was knows what her strengths are and I think she's been on the big stage as a teen so it's not like she's not familiar with the Madison layout and how the games work. So she knows how it all works. So she has a bit of experience that way. I think her fitness is gonna do the talking. I think she is going to be a top tenor for sure. Um

Chad [26:47 - 26:49]
it

Ian [26:49 - 27:01]
is a homer pick but I just, I think she's very very good. Um Ellie Turner keeps seeing the name, I think Ellie Turner is gonna be great. Ellie is a deca athlete I think, yep. And

Chad [27:01 - 27:03]
yeah,

Ian [27:03 - 27:37]
I think Ellie Turner, she also does have the again, she looks like a cross fitter, right? She looks like she's gonna do well, I don't know much, I just think Ellie's gonna continue on this. She's on a rise for sure. I think there's going to be her being like, she is legitimately part of the top echelon of the sport. Um daughter Helga daughter, I think is gonna be there because you have got to have a daughter somewhere in the top 10 of the women's field, otherwise this would be the first time in a long time. She's been around forever.

Chad [27:38 - 27:42]
I should research this before, but I'm pretty sure this will be

Ian [27:42 - 27:43]
great games should

Chad [27:43 - 27:47]
be the lot. Like she'll be the oldest, but she'll be the most experience.

Ian [27:47 - 27:51]
She looks very good this year in the quarterfinals semifinals.

Chad [27:51 - 27:52]
She's

Ian [27:52 - 28:40]
sneaky. Yeah, Yeah, I think she's gonna be there because I think we're gonna have an Icelandic top 10 and one of my favorites, Jacqueline, Dahlstrom Norway, I think she is, she looks good, she looks strong, she puts up good. And when you watch her training with um Gabby mogul, like you were saying, Gabby Miguel has got some really good strength numbers and Jacqueline is not far off of those numbers. And again, I think these these women have just quietly been training away in Spain in different parts of europe in their little training camps and don't get the same attention and I think they're coming over to show people that it's time to pay a little bit more attention to what's going over going on over

Chad [28:40 - 28:52]
there. uh Daniel Brennan, she was my top five. You actually don't have Gabby,

Ian [28:55 - 28:56]
their

Chad [28:58 - 29:04]
and Turner daughter, I think like she just

Ian [29:04 - 29:05]
wanted people to like

Chad [29:07 - 29:12]
and then she'll be super strong, look like it.

Ian [29:12 - 29:26]
Yeah, she doesn't, she's just very she's a lean person, right? Yeah, I saw that

Chad [29:26 - 29:38]
Because I don't really have any of the sort of the top 10. I think it's really difficult to pick like one of the newcomers because there's so many,

Ian [29:38 - 29:39]
there's so

Chad [29:39 - 29:46]
many and I agree with you, like we talked about the last last episode, there is some, there's a change of the guard for sure.

Ian [29:46 - 29:55]
I think there's a good chance, we're just gonna completely miss on someone to, like, there's going to be someone who's going to make a name for themselves this weekend that we may have missed completely and I don't know who will be,

Chad [29:55 - 30:03]
but speaks,

Ian [30:03 - 30:04]
speaks,

Chad [30:06 - 30:09]
but she's a name, uh

Ian [30:10 - 30:16]
Barnhart is Steady, but she's a steady like 12th place finish,

Chad [30:16 - 30:17]
right?

Ian [30:22 - 31:07]
I just think, as we said with the men's last week was this sport is getting younger and at first when they were, it was getting younger, the veterans were still winning because they seem strong, but these young kids now are so strong coming in and have all of the skills because a lot of these young kids as the story goes, have been doing this since crossfit kids, they've now been doing crossfit for 10 years, starting at age 12 and they're 22 so I just think, I don't think they can slow this momentum of this young youthful thing and I think it's great for the sport because you're now going to have a decade of compact new faces and competitors that are going to grow their own brands, but also grow the sport for sure,

Chad [31:08 - 31:13]
Love it, love it, Cool. Um so

Ian [31:13 - 32:32]
I, yeah, I think paige Powers could definitely be someone who can switch up the, the leaderboard. Again, I know Emma took care of business at the uh the granite Games are the ones that Yeah, no atlas or Atlas Games, but paige look good, she was right there in every event, it's not like Emma walked away with the competition and I think Emma's gonna be very strong so I have to assume that Page Powers is going to be really strong, so I think she could be one of those people who might knock someone out of the top 10 sneakily um or at least in a couple of events, you'll see her name near the top of the leaderboard um and then again you mentioned her earlier Gabby, my gala, it was kind of hard to slip her out of the top 10 because I agree, I think she's gonna be very good, I think you're gonna see she's gonna be one of these athletes as I talked about earlier with Tia, I think gala is in a place where she could win an event. You know, there's like four or five athletes you can say are going to probably win an event. Mallow brian will win an event and you're just the more you think about this, you're like then Tia can't win all of these events and I think that's just how it's gonna go. But yeah, my dark horse, we Page Powers from Atlas Games success and Gabby Meghalaya.

Chad [32:34 - 33:03]
Yeah, I agree with Gabby, I think she's gonna surprise people and make some difference in the world. And then I also put Daniel Brandon because it just like the unknown with she looks so steady semifinals and I think she has a lot of potential and she looked great last year she went against, she wanted, she competed pretty well a lot of the events. I think she can change the leaderboard spots for sure. For sure.

Ian [33:05 - 34:25]
Yeah, I I'll do. So I had a couple of names here that we have already mentioned. I think Jacqueline Dahlstrom is gonna, because she's just in the fact that I think she'll be a top 10 athlete. I think that'll get her name out there I think is gonna have a good and then I think Emma is going to have a breakout performance. I really, really do. Like what I saw there's definitely still weaknesses in her game, strength being the weakness still, she's a very strong athlete but you still see some of these top dogs or you see like what Brooke wells can dead lift and you know those are the numbers she's gonna have to try and get herself to, but she's so good. I think Emma will have, will become a bit of a darling of the sport here because she seems to have already a growing uh, growing what's that, whatever we're gonna look for her sponsorships are going. She just signed with podium. Her celebrity is growing, right. I feel like she meets what they want to promote in the sport. She's a nice, nice girl who works really hard and is doing amazing at the sport. So I see her, she is,

Chad [34:25 - 34:48]
she's got what it takes, she's marketable. I agree with you, I had her page powers as to break up performances. I agree with us have those games, it was really fun watching the two of them go ahead because it was really just the two of them and if you look at like Alex Suzanne and Alexis, I don't think they got the same sort of appeal as paige and Emma

Ian [34:48 - 34:49]
do pages

Chad [34:49 - 35:08]
with Mayhem. So she's got, she's got throwing behind behind her and maybe revise, but Emma feels like a celebrity already, she's gonna grow. I think this will be a big year for her. Uh some sort of moment that happens and it'll be all over the socials

Ian [35:08 - 35:09]
for sure. So

Chad [35:09 - 35:12]
then I guess rookie of the year,

Ian [35:12 - 35:15]
I think it will be the year.

Chad [35:15 - 35:17]
That's a that's a that's a big take

Ian [35:17 - 35:54]
you think so because I know there's a lot of rookies per se, but again, this might change if she does if she struggles if she even shows the, if you see some top 10 event finishes from Emma, Lawson the games are gonna want her to be rookie of the year because again, just, we were talking about, they want to market her, they want her to become a strong face for the sport, so why not? Yeah,

Chad [35:54 - 35:57]
it

Ian [35:57 - 36:06]
was obvious that she was the rookie of the year, she was also the breakout performance last year, right? Like Mall really just came on stage and I think Emma's gonna have a similar kind of,

Chad [36:12 - 36:19]
yeah, had a breakout last year over last year, he didn't have the highest placing as melded,

Ian [36:19 - 36:19]
right?

Chad [36:20 - 36:28]
But you could easily say like, yeah, you wouldn't be surprised if you got it from here, So I agree with you. Emma has a pretty good shot. There are a lot of rookies, you're gonna compute

Ian [36:28 - 36:30]
roman, but

Chad [36:30 - 36:36]
yes, you're right across it if they had to pick between roman and Emma marketability standpoint, it's a

Ian [36:36 - 36:55]
for sure, but that's why I just, again, I feel like on the men's side, I was talking a lot about roman, that name came up a lot on this, I just like what Emma is, I feel like she's poised and ready to do this and you know, she wants it, we know that this is what she wants.

Chad [36:55 - 37:00]
Yeah, I have, I have Emma and Alex Alex place

Ian [37:00 - 37:01]
fifth granted,

Chad [37:02 - 37:21]
she seems also got a big future, she feel like she doesn't have as much attention, I feel like already, Yeah, obviously, announcement and I think she's getting face is definitely going over there, so yeah, well, she live up to it, I mean

Ian [37:26 - 37:27]
for sure,

Chad [37:28 - 37:29]
give it up.

Ian [37:30 - 38:58]
So I talked to Tia talked about new daughters making their mark and yeah, I talked a little, I just think the young stars are gonna be, their names are gonna Sprinkle all over the leaderboard and I think they're gonna be different young stars in many of the events but I think you're gonna see a lot of kind of like oh wow paige powers just put on a clinic, I think you're gonna have some of these moments for each of them and like you said model has some huge expectations even more so than Tia winning. I feel like Tia winning is just almost feels inevitable. The pressure seems and feels like it's on my Laura Horvath again is just under the radar, no one's talking about her, there doesn't seem to be expectations on her. It's expected that Laura Horvath is just gonna perform Mallow brian, the sport wants her to be there and it's a lot of pressure for her. Like we're talking about Emma has expectations, I think she's being those expectations, expectations are being carefully kind of controlled, we just want to have a good weekend, do the best, you can experience all the buzzwords, Mallow Bryant after last year, people are expecting her to be at the top and it is a lot to handle, especially when your coach's name is matt fraser and all the championship pedigree that comes along with him, the expectation is she is going to be able to jump into that for sure, I think her pressure is going to be a lot and it'll tell us a lot this weekend if she can do it,

Chad [39:00 - 39:15]
hurting her first book. That's a good, that's a good take. That's a hot take. I like it. I like it. She looks like she can handle it with in her corner and O'keefe and group the cool kids. I

Ian [39:15 - 39:16]
think she, I think she,

Chad [39:16 - 39:51]
I love it. I love it. I was actually thinking, um, because in previous years we have sort of a lot of them. I mean the highest american finish has been the yeah. Um, Haley's kind of fifth. We have sort of the, the Kari pearce Haley Adams. But when looking at the roster of US athletes versus to be honest with you in my opinion, a lot of unknown european athletes.

Ian [39:51 - 39:52]
Yes,

Chad [39:53 - 40:02]
I'm so interested to see this Euro versus american. I mean we can tell us in Canada in there too, but I feel like and the female side and across

Ian [40:02 - 40:03]
its border, it's

Chad [40:03 - 40:48]
always been about the non americans? Non north americans, right? The one that one of your butt obviously, I mean, yeah, Camille, I don't know when the last time an american one, the american, that's what probably goes back to the um, and again, I think now is probably the current, but there's so many european athletes like jerry owner and then McQuay, Jack, lucy Campbell gabby laura, like there's so many european ethics. I think most of us don't know much about and I'm super excited to see the battle kind of us versus europe or us versus done. Wouldn't

Ian [40:48 - 40:54]
it be cool if crossfit had another marquee event that was like a Ryder cup or like a president?

Chad [40:56 - 40:57]
Right? I

Ian [40:57 - 41:08]
think you could do like a north America versus europe and instead of doing it an individual thing, put the top athletes together as teams. So you have a team of mal and Haley and

Chad [41:09 - 41:10]
I

Ian [41:10 - 41:16]
think that would be cool to bring back because I think

Chad [41:17 - 41:18]
he's with Camille

Ian [41:19 - 42:08]
because I think they are, I like the way the seasons laid out. Obviously everyone gets a piece of crossfit in february March with the open. But then unless you're die hard into the sport, you're probably not watching the quarterfinals, you might tune in and check just to make sure your favorites are there in the semifinals, going to the game and then you watch the game. So you get to kind of premier moments in this in the year, a calendar year for crossfit to kind of get it's time. I think you need to put another event in december or january or something like that just to keep some of these names promoted more, continue to try and make it appealing for a bigger network to think, hey, maybe we could cover some of these things, I think there's way there's formats to try and continue to grow this. But yeah, I think they're in a good spot, Cross fits in a good spot, lots of good people in it right now.

Chad [42:08 - 42:37]
Yeah, and my hope is that this, your battle proves in two years when we're we're going to auditory or whatever it was. That was awesome. I think they already talked about a lot, but like the american semifinals were like 20% take it sold where they almost all the European Australian ones. So like I love the european sort of

Ian [42:37 - 42:38]
going on here and I

Chad [42:38 - 42:48]
think because we talked about the change the guard right? Like we have Amanda Barnhart, we have Brooke wells, will they be here in a few years, you know, like

Ian [42:49 - 43:05]
Amanda Barnhart really is a name that just doesn't feel like she's just an afterthought at this point, which seems sad because she's always there, she's so steady and she's been Bergeron's last, his roster has really dwindled,

Chad [43:05 - 43:37]
I think Chandler comes back next year, but yesterday, but 9th, Daniel was 11th, I mean Ariel is new. Yeah, it's uh she finds a way to be steady and that's very much a thing. So yeah, and without catching that she have more this year because of the attention that she probably gets in the picture. So it's like you're right, it's one athlete really,

Ian [43:37 - 43:40]
he can pour all of his voodoo magic into one person,

Chad [43:40 - 43:41]
she's spoiled.

Ian [43:42 - 44:03]
I it's a very big possibility, like she, because she has the experience, she might be one of the people who's like, Alright, fine, I'm not gonna top 10 events, but I'm gonna 11th every event, and that's gonna put me in sixth overall or something like that. Right? So that's a for sure, a possibility. There it is, folks.

Chad [44:04 - 44:04]
Hopefully,

Ian [44:06 - 44:07]
yeah, don't

Chad [44:07 - 44:08]
keep doing this.

Ian [44:08 - 44:13]
I'm hoping we hit on a few of these. Don't forget to like and subscribe.

Chad [44:14 - 44:16]
Of course. Yeah.

Ian [44:16 - 44:38]
Five stars only. No problem. I loved it. I love having a chat about this where we get to revisit what we just said. Yeah. Postmortem on our feelings, but excitement over the sport. For sure.

Chad [44:38 - 44:40]
Thank

Ian [44:40 - 44:41]
you.