It’s the best time of year. The CrossFit Games are next week — the 15th year of competition! — and we’re gearing up for an explosive competition. We already made our podium predictions, and now, we want to take a stab at what types of movements and events we’re going to see. (Castro’s already dropping hints on Instagram.)

Anything could happen, and personally, we think we’re going to see some really different stuff this year. Only time will tell for certain, but we all put our heads together, and here are a few things we’re predicting.

Our 2021 CrossFit Games Movement And Event Predictions

1. Another Tri-Event

We’ve seen this in various forms a few times. For example, in 2017, we had the Run Swim Run Relay — a 1.5-mile run, 500-meter swim, and another 1.5-mile run to cap it off.

This year, we’re feeling like we’ll see another tri-event but perhaps with a bit more variety — run, paddle, bike? Castro has incorporated all three in the past (and did spill the beans that paddling would appear this year), and putting them all together would make for one heck of a burning, grueling, full-body workout.

Speaking of paddling…

2. Stand-Up Paddleboarding

Nothing destroys your shoulders like paddleboarding, and we could see this being either a sprint or more of a long-distance event.

This one popped into our mind after reminiscing about the 2015 event that had athletes transporting sandbags of varying weights from one side of the arena to the other via wheelbarrows. It was *peak* functional fitness, and we kind of feel the same way about paddleboarding.

More than likely, it’ll be part of a couplet, triplet, or maybe a chipper — unless Castro is so evil that he’d make the athletes do a marathon paddle. (Fully possible.)

3. A Variation of 2016’s Redemption Workout

Remember in 2016 when competitors learned that the pegboard is the bane of their existence?

The only thing that could make this worse is thrusters, which is exactly what they had to do. Ouch. Castro must’ve loved it, though, because it came back in 2018.

In our opinion, we’re due for another appearance of pegboard climbs and thrusters, so we won’t be surprised if they happen to show up at the Games next week.

4. Something Ridiculously, Unbearably Long

No one will ever forget the event that likely brought Fraser closer to tears than he’s ever been in competition. Last year, athletes had to complete what was undoubtedly a painful trail run — only to finish and have Castro tell them to go back and run it in reverse.

You know he’s going to try to do something to top that this year, which is probably why the competition spans more days. Kidding! Not really.

5. A Brutal Chipper to Cap it All Off

You haven’t forgotten Atalanta, have you? It was the final event of the 2020 Games: a one-mile run, 100 handstand push-ups, 200 single-leg squats, 300 pull-ups, and another one-mile run, all done in a weighted vest. It was one heck of a way to finish the Games, and let’s be real: This memory gives us life.

It was the last Games event Fraser would ever do, and it was also a spicy chipper that athletes had to seriously battle through. What will Castro cook up this year?

Those are our guesses, friends. What about you?

Main image: Amanda Barnhart/Instagram

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