Graham Holmberg and Sam Briggs Deserve to go the Games

Regionals are completed and the Games field is complete. As with every year, there are some exciting new athletes and there are some

notable absences. While turnover is to be expected, there are a couple of athletes that really got the short end of the stick from Crossfit HQ this year: Sam Briggs and Graham Holmberg. They will be missing the Games for different reasons but regardless of the reasons why, these two athletes SHOULD BE AT THE GAMES! If the goal of the Open and Regionals is to get the fittest individuals to California, then the process failed Briggs and Holmberg.

The Case for Sam Briggs: The case for Briggs is twofold. First and foremost, she’s the reigning champ. Crossfit has never had a reigning champ fail to defend their title when healthy (Annie obviously missed last year with an injury). Prior to this year, any former champion was entitled to a trip to the Games. Kristan Clever didn’t qualify last year but was invited to the Games. HQ removed that rule this year and Briggs suffering because of it. But Briggs isn’t a charity case. She didn’t finish 12th in her region or perform terribly at Regionals. In fact, out of seven events she recorded three wins (more than any other female in her region) and two other top five finishes. She had a disaster finish in the handstand walk, tumbling after just 65 feet, and finished a disastrous 26th place. She totaled 44 points on the weekend, but 26 of them came in that event. Had she walked 20 extra feet, in an event that’s more “skill” than “fitness,” she would have qualified for the Games. On the cross regional leaderboard Briggs shows up at 27th which isn’t great but it’s certainly within the top 40 and without a doubt worthy of a trip to the Games.

The Case for Graham Holmberg: Everything I just said about past champions is true in Holmberg’s case as well. Plus Holmberg’s fourth spot would have qualified even if he wasn’t a former champion because Froning took first in his region and under the former rules; Froning’s qualifying spot would have opened it up for the fourth place male to go to the Games as well. Even outside of that though, Holmberg’s case might be even stronger than Briggs. Holmberg finished in the top ten of every event of the region except one and the exception was an 11th place finish. He also won two events and logged another top five finish. On the cross regional leaderboard, Holmberg was tenth in the world and would have won ten other regions. Needless to say he would have qualified for the Games in any other region in the world. He is a Games level athlete and deserves to be there in July.

Castro’s proclamation that there would be no wild cards or special invites seems not only short sided but bad for the sport of Crossfit. Two of the “fittest” athletes in the world are missing the Games because HQ decided to change the rules. If the goal is to find the FITTEST, Briggs and Holmberg deserve the chance to compete for that crown.