Noise permeates everything - loud music, voices booming over PA systems, not to mention the crowds and athletes themselves. There are very few moments of silence during the Games. Pictured: Emma Lawson glares as competitor Alexis Raptis passes her during Event Three (“Elizabeth Elevated”) of the 2022 CrossFit Games.
JUSTIN EAR TRAINER PROFESSIONAL
Time flies in professional sports, though, and memories can be short.Īlthough Garard had returned to the Games with gusto, his presence was either not remembered - or not respected - by the crowd. Garard briefly became a household name in CrossFit when, in 2018, the Australian athlete was slapped with a drug-related suspension after getting on the Games podium. Less than underwhelming for Garard himself, who had started his Games campaign quite strongly. For the athlete in question, the announcement was met with a tolerable murmur. The crowds in attendance are usually ear-piercingly loud at such a declaration. “And now, your leader, Ricky Garard!” the announcer’s voice booms over the Coliseum in Madison, Wisconsin. Pictured: Ricky Garard enters the field of play for Event Three (“Elizabeth Elevated”) during the 2022 CrossFit Games. Moments later, Ricky Garard would complete all stages of “Bike to Work” and claim his rightful place at the top of the leaderboard. Spurred on by false pretenses, Panchik excitedly dropped his bike at his feet and hustled under the delusion that he would win his first-ever CrossFit Games Individual event. Panchik had been misled by his referee, who mistakenly told the freshman Games competitor that he had already completed his second five-mile bike ride.
Event photographers drop their phones in favor of their Sony and Canon cameras as Panchik errantly crosses the finish line. The crowd in Madison, Wisconsin watches in equal parts confusion and awe. Perhaps the only two people not confused by Spencer Panchik‘s sprint toward the finish line during Event One of the Games were Panchik himself and his attending referee.
Pictured: Athlete Spencer Panchik sprints toward what he believes to be an event win on the first day of the 2022 CrossFit Games. Eight-time Games competitor Brooke Wells grabs her bike isn’t the first to pedal through the park, but she does crush the follow-up challenge - 75 pull-ups for time - faster than most.Īfter suffering a fateful elbow injury the year prior, Wells’ ferocity in the first event served as a promising sign that she was back with a vengeance.
The second race looked a little different, though, as the athletes funneled out of the starting area one by one. The first of two five-mile bike rides were a mass scramble, with rookies and veterans alike chomping at the bit to one-up each other in the first hours of the Games. The rain is holding off for the time being, but storms are promised as dozens of athletes file into North Park. The StoryĬloudy skies prevent the sun from drying the terrain that the Games competitors will have to navigate during the first event of the biggest competition in CrossFit. Pictured: Athlete Brooke Wells leaves North Park to embark on her second five-mile biking course during Event One (“Bike to Work”) at the 2022 CrossFit Games. Claims, assertions, opinions, and quotes have been sourced exclusively by the author. The views expressed herein are the author’s and don’t necessarily reflect the views of BarBend. Best Photographs From the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit GamesĮditor’s Note: This article is an op-ed. Moments that you couldn’t find on a leaderboard. These are some of the most memorable photographs from Madison this year - captured by photographer (and the author of this piece), Will Johnson. History was written and rewritten many times over, thanks to the athletes who make this sport what it is. The 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games in Madison, Wisconsin were packed to the brim with excitement and electricity.
Big lifts, inhumanly-fast speed, and athletic perseverance make CrossFit captivating to watch at the highest level, but it’s the small moments in between that give life and color to the sport. The athletes pen their tales in sweat and service. The scoreboard may quantify the athletes at the CrossFit Games, but it doesn’t tell their stories.
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