Final up to date on April 1st, 2025
Swiss athlete Mirjam von Rohr burst onto the CrossFit scene final 12 months, charming 1000’s with a first-place end worldwide within the Open.
Effectively, she has performed it once more: Von Rohr clinched the 2025 CrossFit Open with two occasion victories proper out of the gate.
The previous elite HYROX athlete has gone all in on CrossFit in hopes of qualifying for the CrossFit Video games this 12 months. Though she should still be thought of a rookie within the sport, her performances show she’s a standout athlete, particularly throughout a season marked by important adjustments.
Remind Me
Von Rohr gained the 2024 CrossFit Open and superior to the Quarterfinals, the place she positioned thirty eighth. She subsequently competed within the European Semifinal, ending simply eight spots exterior a qualifying place.
- “One among my most important challenges is my lack of expertise competing in opposition to different elite athletes,” von Rohr informed the Morning Chalk Up in an interview. “Being comparatively new to this degree of competitors, I’m nonetheless studying the best way to handle my pacing and when to push throughout high-stakes occasions.”
Her solely objective for the Open this 12 months was to put within the high 1% and qualify for the Semifinals. In contrast to final season, there isn’t a Quarterfinals stage, so athletes needed to give their all within the Open to have an opportunity on the last stage earlier than the Video games.
- “Once I gained the primary two Open exercises, I began to assume it could be superb to win your entire Open, similar to final 12 months. That objective solely emerged after the primary two exercises. It motivated me to present my very best within the last exercise,” von Rohr mentioned.
Von Rohr’s coaching earlier than the Open didn’t contain a lot conditioning or Open-style exercises, as her focus has been on her weaknesses: weightlifting and energy.
Notably, von Rohr applications for herself and commonly attends CrossFit and weightlifting courses at her native affiliate, CrossFit Öuf, in Zuchwil. When approaching a contest, she usually does her personal exercises which are extra particularly tailor-made to the occasion.
- “With regards to coaching planning — depth, quantity, what I practice, how I construction my season, which competitions I take part in, and the way I peak on the proper time to carry out at my greatest on competitors day — I’ve been managing every part myself for years,” she mentioned.
Her hiatus from CrossFit in 2023 stemmed from her success within the health racing sport HYROX. She gained the HYROX European Championship in 2022 and centered on qualifying for the World Championships in 2023, coaching completely for HYROX.
Since final 12 months, von Rohr has determined to focus totally on CrossFit coaching, however her “day job” nonetheless revolves round HYROX.
- “Within the HYROX subject, I coach seminars in Switzerland and assist athletes put together for his or her first HYROX competitors or enhance their efficiency. Moreover, I work at a HYROX gymnasium, the place I coach coaching periods,” von Rohr mentioned.
Exterior of her work and coaching, von Rohr is specializing in her restoration, which she feels she has not prioritized prior to now.
- “For me, this permits me to make extra progress even with fewer coaching hours. I feel this is a vital lesson for a lot of athletes: typically, much less is extra. The standard of coaching issues most,” von Rohr mentioned.
She strives to maximise her coaching by turning exercises into challenges. Up to now, she has accomplished quite a few challenges, equivalent to a two-hour wall sit and 1,000 wall balls for time.
The Backside Line
The Semifinals for people begin on Might 1.
Some athletes will compete within the In-Affiliate (on-line) Semifinals, whereas others will take part in one among ten In-Individual Qualifying Occasions around the globe.
Von Rohr intends to compete within the In-Affiliate occasion, the place 11 spots can be found worldwide.
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Featured Picture: @crossfitouf and @mirjam_v.r / Instagram