We’re heading into the last weekend of the 2022 Semifinals, leading up to the Last-Chance Qualifier when we’ll finally know for sure who’s officially punched their ticket to the CrossFit Games. If you’ve fallen behind on the action, be sure to check out our recap of Week 3 and find out who made it to the final five for the men and women.

Coming up this weekend, we have the:

  • CrossFit Atlas Games.
  • CrossFit Strength in Depth.
  • CrossFit Copa Sur.

Here are some of the athletes we’ll be watching very closely!

Atlas Games

1. Carolyne Prevost

This isn’t her first rodeo. Or second, for that matter. Prevost first competed in the Open in 2014 and kicked off her career in 174th place (not too shabby, considering the total count of athletes who competed!). She’s got a couple of Games experiences under her belt, too, with her best finish in 12th place. At last year’s Atlas Games, she walked away in 1st place, no doubt savoring her time on the podium.

And we have a feeling that this year will be no different. With a 2:18 Fran time and a 400lb deadlift, this high school teacher and incredible athlete is here to do some damage.

2. Caroline Conners

Conners is only 5’1″, but that doesn’t get in the way of a 325lb back squat. Her first Open appearance was in 2014, and she’s steadily climbed the leaderboard since. She made her first trip to the Games in 2021, finishing in 33rd place. And if her track record is any indication, this year will be even better. At last year’s Semifinals, she made her mark at the Granite Games, coming in 5th.

Conners has experience working in her favor, and we know she’s going to show up and slay.

3. Patrick Vellner

Vellner is a CrossFit OG. He’s competed in the Open since 2013, taking 1st in 2020. And he’s got seven Games appearances with four podium finishes, finishing 2nd in 2018 and 2021 — his best performances yet. With a 1:17 Grace time and the muscles to top it all off, he’s just about unstoppable, and we are itching to see him finally get his gold medal this year.

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4. Alexandre Caron

He might only be 26, but Caron has already competed in the Open nine times, with a 6th-place finish in 2018. He’s been to the Games four times, once on a team, demonstrating true versatility. And at last year’s Semifinals, we really saw what he was made of. After finishing in 8th, he came back to the Last-Chance Qualifier and grabbed 2nd.

With a 355lb clean and jerk and a 1:30 time on Grace, he’s fast, strong, and powerful beyond words.

Strength in Depth

1. Jonne Koski

Seven Games appearances. A 6th-place finish in 2021. 1st at last year’s Semifinals at the CrossFit German Throwdown. Not too shabby for 27 years old. Koski is an absolute machine and truly embodies what this sport is all about. We’ve watched his journey for the last several years and can’t wait to see all his hard work and grit pay off.

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2. Willy Georges

The three-time Games competitor and four-time fittest in France knows a thing or two about competing. Over the years, he’s steadily hovered near the top of the leaderboard, and his Quarterfinals performance this year landed him 2nd place in Europe. Even shoulder surgery earlier in 2021 didn’t stop him. This man can do the impossible.

3. Katrin Tanja Davidsdottir

Here’s an athlete who needs no introduction… but we’ll give it to you anyway. This Dottir is a true champion and a crowd favorite. This will be her tenth time competing at the Games, and she landed on the podium with a 1st-place finish in 2015 and 2016. Since then, she’s been on the podium twice more, finishing 3rd in 2018 and 2nd in 2020. But 2021 landed her in 10th place, and we know she’s coming back for a victory.

4. Jacqueline Dahlstrøm

Head down, eyes up. That’s Dahlstrøm. She’s one of those competitors who’s quietly fierce, and her two Games performances prove that. She had a 45th-place finish in 2019 but climbed to 17th place in 2021, leaving us anxious to see what she’ll bring to the table this year. She placed 2nd at last year’s Semis, so we’re expecting big things this weekend!

Copa Sur

1. Luiza Marques

At 20 years old and with four Games appearances behind her (once on a team), Marques clearly isn’t slowing down anytime soon. One look at her Instagram page and you’ll quickly see she’s not afraid to tackle any challenge head-on — one sign of a tough competitor.

2. Melina Rodriguez

Rodriguez made her way to the Games in 2017, 2019, and 2020, last finishing in 17th. She might have a little catching up to do — she finished Semis last year in 16th. But if her performance at the Open every year is any indication, we can expect to see some serious progress from her this weekend. She’s got it all: strength, speed, explosiveness. We have no doubt Rodriguez is on the road to even greater success.

3. Guilherme Malheiros

How much could a 22-year-old have accomplished so soon? If you’re Malheiros, a lot. He first competed at the Games in the 16-17 age division, finishing in 2nd. And last year, competing with the men, he officially became the 7th fittest on earth. We’re talking about the guy who can sprint 400m in 1:08. He’s here to win.

4. Agustin Richelme

Richelme placed 1st at last year’s Semifinals and has already been to the Games twice. And, fun fact, he can do 79 max pull-ups, which hurts our grip just thinking about it. He’s consistently proven to be the strongest man in South America for the last few years, so we can only imagine what tricks he’s got up his sleeve for this weekend.

Good luck to all of the competitors! Remember that you can watch the live stream on CrossFit’s YouTube page so that you don’t miss any of the action.

Featured image: Katrin Davidsdottir/Instagram

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