The primary two tickets for the 2025 CrossFit Games are up for grabs from April 5-6 on the Mayhem Traditional in Cookeville, TN.
Remind me: The Mayhem Traditional would be the first of 10 In-Particular person Qualifying Occasions (IPQE) within the newest iteration of the often altering CrossFit season format.
- Eighteen women and men will qualify by way of these occasions, with a further 11 qualifying by way of the In-Affiliate On-line Semifinal, which runs from Could 1 to Could 4.
One closing spot will probably be awarded by way of the Final Probability Qualifier, bringing the overall to 30 males and 30 ladies. It’s necessary to notice that the Final Probability Qualifier is at the moment not referenced within the 2025 CrossFit Video games season rulebook.
Athletes will deal with six occasions all through the weekend. Thus far, solely the primary two have been introduced:
Along with the tickets to the Video games, there’s a complete prize purse of $81,500, with the first-place man and girl taking dwelling $15,000 every. Let’s check out the rivals.
Males
Favorites
James Sprague
The reigning Video games champion confirmed the naysayers that he’s the actual deal at TYR Wodapalooza in January and goals to show that 2024 was no fluke.
The 22-year-old is motivated and bettering quickly, attaining his career-best Open end of 18th place earlier this 12 months. He enters as the person to beat, so anticipate him to begin with a win in occasion one proper out of the gate.
Jayson Hopper
Hopper can be coming off a profession 12 months, simply lacking the rostrum in fourth place on the 2024 CrossFit Video games. He adopted that with a powerful third-place efficiency at Rogue.
He tends to rise to the extent of his competitors and will probably be within the operating to safe a high spot.
Roman Khrennikov
Though Khrennikov has ranked decrease annually on the Video games since 2022, accidents have performed a significant position.
Everyone knows that when Khrennikov is wholesome, he’s in rivalry to win any occasion, whatever the competitors. Plus, it definitely helps that he has home-court benefit in Cookeville.
Contenders
Austin Hatfield
Hatfield burst onto the scene in 2024, ending 14th within the Open, eighth on the North America East Semifinal, and tenth on the Video games. He continued his upward trajectory into 2025, incomes third place at TYR Wodapalooza and fourth within the Open.
Being a Mayhem athlete would possibly give Hatfield the sting to safe a type of coveted tickets to the Video games.
Colten Mertens
Only a few weeks in the past, Mertens delivered essentially the most dominant efficiency we’ve ever witnessed within the males’s division in the course of the Open. He’s a house run hitter prone to win a minimum of one occasion in Cookeville.
In his final Semifinal look on the 2024 West Coast Traditional, he gained two of the six occasions however fell two spots in need of qualifying for the Video games. His highest end at any Semifinal occasion was fourth on the 2022 Granite Video games, but he seems like a person on a mission in 2025.
Who Else to Watch
Gui Malheiros
Though Malheiros introduced that he won’t compete within the CrossFit season, he’ll nonetheless be competing for pleasure and a share of the prize purse. Gui is constantly the favourite to win any snatch occasion, so search for him to take Heavy Isabel.
Nick Mathew
Like another Video games veterans, Mathew’s 2024 season was minimize quick by penalties within the Quarterfinals. The king of the crop high completed 51st within the Open this 12 months and is able to make 2025 a comeback season.
Value noting: The lads’s roster options 5 of the 20 World Health Challenge Professional Card holders in addition to six of the Challengers who certified (unofficially) for WFP Tour Occasion I in Indianapolis, making the Mayhem Traditional one thing of a “pre-season” showcase for the WFP males’s division.
Ladies
Favorites
Alexis Raptis
Raptis positioned second on the 2024 North America East Semifinal, simply behind the seven-time Video games Champ, Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr. She outperformed the opposite ladies on this 12 months’s Mayhem Traditional area, making her the favourite to win.
Raptis went on to complete sixth on the Video games for the second consecutive 12 months. Though she positioned behind Emily Rolfe (third) and Haley Adams (fifth) in Fort Value, incomes a Video games ticket in Cookeville gained’t be a cakewalk.
Haley Adams
Adams took the 2023 season off and rediscovered her pleasure in 2024. She certified for the 2024 Video games by securing sixth place on the North America East Semifinal, capping off her comeback season with a fifth-place end in Fort Value. Though she ended this 12 months’s Open in 274th place worldwide, she stays a risk, particularly on her dwelling turf.
Emily Rolfe
A perennial contender who continues to enhance, Rolfe is coming off one of the best CrossFit Video games end of her profession, taking third place on the age of 34. She enters the 2025 season as a Masters athlete and will probably be at or close to the highest of any endurance occasion she faces.
Contenders
Abigail Domit
Domit proved she is for actual by successful the 2024 West Coast Traditional. She was a candidate for many improved final season and demonstrated she will compete with one of the best.
She ranked forty fifth within the Open, marking the beginning of her fourth season as a person. Her future is shiny.
Charge Saghafi
Coming off a second-place Open end worldwide, only one level behind first, Saghafi was the one girl to position within the high 10 in all three exercises.
The 2-time Video games athlete missed qualifying final 12 months, which has fueled her motivation for 2025. She is able to make some noise in Cookeville.
Who Else to Watch
Shelby Neal
Neal held her personal with a number of the greatest names within the sport on the 2024 North America East Semifinal. She completed fifth, securing her second consecutive journey to the Video games. Neal is a fierce competitor who exhibits up when it counts, often with a smile on her face.
Paige Semenza
Semenza had her worst Open end since 2016, putting 263rd this 12 months. Nonetheless, the top-tier athletes solely wanted to rank within the high 1200 to qualify for the Semifinals, and the five-time Video games veteran achieved her finest results of ninth place final 12 months in Fort Value.
Along with Raptis, Adams, and Rolfe, she holds one of many 20 World Health Challenge Professional Playing cards for the 2025 season.
Value noting: Two would-be favorites, Danielle Brandon and Brooke Wells, withdrew from the competitors this week, opening the door a bit wider for the remaining athletes.
The Backside Line on the Mayhem Traditional
The Mayhem Traditional options high rivals ready to showcase their abilities in Tennessee. By the tip of the weekend, we’ll know the primary two women and men heading to Albany later this summer season.
Tune in to observe the motion reside on the Mayhem YouTube channel.
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Featured Picture: Sara Ines Chew