Nearly overshadowed in the national media by the polarizing controversy of glock pistols being offered as part of the prize compensation, the Crossfit games came to a thrilling conclusion Sunday amid brutal California heat. The sport, which is known for feats of perpetual and explosive endurance involving a series of arduous physical tests has become a popular competitive forum for cross-training athletes.
The finals did not disappoint as Katrin Tanja Davidsdottir took the women’s title in dramatic fashion over runner-up Tia-Clair Toomey, earning the crown by a mere 11 points (984-973). On the men’s side Matthew Fraser enjoyed a more comfortable margin of victory, defeating second-place finisher Ben Smith by nearly 200 points.
The grueling competition consists of 15 separately scored events, which include the aptly named Ocean Swim, Climbing Snail and of course Redemption. Athletes climb ropes, flip tires, utilize weight training technique and display speed and dexterity to navigate through the various obstacles and thresholds. While the glock angle dominated the news cycle earlier this week, the event’s purse for 2016 increased to 2.2 million dollars.