Games Veterans Missing from 14.1 Crossfit Open Results

Every sport lives and dies with star power and the Sport of Fitness will be missing some of their stars this year. We know for sure that Zachary (ZA) Anderson will be out this year with a back injury, thanks to his Facebook page. There are also a handful of Games veterans who's names are suspiciously absent from the 14.1 results leaderboard. While I was inclined to think it might be some late validation issues, the Games Update Show this evening dropped a delicious tease at the end of their five minute show. They ended with a comment about big names being absent from the leaderboard and that it would be something addressed in tomorrow's update show. So we do know there will be some big name athletes who won't be returning in 2014. Here are list of possible "absentees"

• Mikko Salo: he was first one that caught my attention earlier today. It looks like he's registered but he doesn't have a score yet. 
• Matt Chan: exact same scenario as Salo and Chan tweeted this evening "he forgot the Open started last week." While that totally impossible, it does sound like he won't be competing in 2014, for whatever reason.
• Aja Barto: he's from my region so I might be more familiar with him than most be he's a veterans Games athlete. It doesn't even look like he's registered this year. I found an article right before the 2013 Games where he talked about the strain of running a gym and training full time. He talked about the possibility of giving up the competition side to focus on his gym. He's also very big into Olympic lifting so he might have gone that route as opposed to CF.

• Orlando Trejo: another Games veteran who doesn't have a score yet. He's the biggest name out of Latin America and would be a big loss for that region.
• Travis Meyer: finished second last year in the South East region (Anderson won that region so they're down two Games athletes) and finished 18th at the Games but doesn't look like he even signed up this year. 
• Heather Gillespie: made it to the Games last year but pulled out early due to injury. The 34 year old doesn't look like she signed up this year.
• Deborah Cordner Carson: she announced several months ago she wasn't going to compete so that she could focus on competitive coaching. She's been a great inspirational story the last couple of years though and she'll certainly be missed.
• Nicole Tainatongo: last years winner from the Asia region doesn't look like she signed up this year. The 25 year old made it to her first Games last year. 
• Natalie McLain: another first time Games athlete who doesn't look like they signed up this year. She was in the South West region last year. 
• Erin Light: another first time Games competitor last year, from the Canada West region. 

That's all I've seen so far tonight but we'll see what names, and even more importantly the reasons, why some of these are missing. To have about 10% of your most elite athletes simply not sign up the next season has to concerning for Crossfit HQ, or at least it would be to me. We'll keep digging around and see if we can find out anything. Please also chime in if I missed anyone.aja