The CrossFit Open is done — now what? This brings us to the Quarterfinals: a new addition to the competitive season.

We don’t have an exact number yet, but it’s looking like somewhere in the neighborhood of 246,000 people registered for the Open — certainly nothing to scoff at. Of those who competed, the top 10% of individuals and top 25% of teams on each continent advance to the Quarterfinals.

For teens aged 16-17 years, if they completed the Open Rx’d, then they’re eligible to compete in the Quarterfinals. For athletes between the ages of 35 and 54, the same goes. They’re eligible to compete as long as they did all of the Open workouts Rx’d.

Invites have been sent out, and the fun is starting. So, what exactly can we expect?

What are the Quarterfinals?

Great question!

This is a brand new phase of the Open taking place online. Athletes will compete for a chance to move onto the Semifinals, which will take place in May and June and is the final step in advancing to the Games (along with the Last-Chance Qualifier).

Importantly, the leaderboard resets for the Quarterfinals, meaning athletes start with a clean slate — whether you’re Tia-Clair Toomey or a first-time competitor.

The individuals competition starts on Thursday, April 8, at 12:00 p.m. PST — which is Friday at 5:00 a.m. AEST — and goes for three days. The team competition will happen later this month (April 22-25).

Day 1 of Quarterfinals will include Workouts 1 and 2. Day 2 covers Workouts 3 and 4. The third and final day will consist of the fifth workout.

What are the Events?

HQ recently released the workouts — here’s what we’re looking at.

Event 1

For time:

Three rounds of:

• 10 strict handstand push-ups
• 10 dumbbell hang power cleans
• 50 double-unders

Rest one minute, then three rounds of:

• 10 kipping handstand push-ups
• 10 dumbbell shoulder-to-overheads
• 50 double-unders

Time cap: 10 minutes
Women: 35-pound dumbbell
Men: 50-pound dumbbell

Event 2

For time:

• 60 GHD sit-ups
• Six rope climbs (15-foot rope)
• 60 alternating single-leg squats
• 50 GHD sit-ups
• Five rope climbs
• 50 alternating single-leg squats
• 40 GHD sit-ups
• Four rope climbs
• 40 alternating single-leg squats
• 30 GHD sit-ups
• Three rope climbs
• 30 alternating single-leg squats

Time cap: 20 minutes

Event 3

For time:

• 120 wall ball shots
• 120-calorie row

Time cap: 15 minutes
Women: 14-pound ball to nine-foot target
Men: 20-pound ball to 10-foot target

Event 4

For weight:

• Four-rep max front squat

Time cap: 20 minutes

Event 5

For time:

9-6-3 reps of:

• Snatch
• Burpee box jump-overs

Time cap: seven minutes
Women: 135 pounds, 30-inch box
Men: 185 pounds, 30-inch box

It’s going to be an exciting, action-packed weekend. Similar to the Open, we can expect the leaderboard to be updated as scores are submitted and finalized.

Sometime next week, we’ll have a clearer understanding of who we can maybe expect to see at the Games. This is an exciting year for the sport. With new ownership and some pretty serious adjustments thanks to the pandemic, HQ had to get creative. And we believe they really delivered.

Keep an eye on the leaderboard! You know how these competitions go… Anything can happen.