Internet Blows Up with Support for Tia-Clair Toomey
After competing in both the Olympic Games and the CrossFit Games in less than 30 days, you could suggest that any particular athlete achieving such an endeavour is World Class. That athlete is Australia’s Tia-Clair Toomey.
Tia-Clair exploded on the scene in 2015 after qualifying for her first CrossFit Games, finishing on the podium in second place and awarded rookie of the year. Proving that her rookie performance was not a fluke, Toomey qualified again in 2016 and claimed second place once again, behind back to back champion Katrin Davidsdottir. Achieving such a milestone in one of the most fiercely competitive sports on earth was nothing short of phenomenal.
Fast forward several weeks and Toomey is on the platform at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janiero, representing Australia in Women’s Weightlifting. Toomey qualified to be one of a select few to represent Australia in Weightlifting despite only being in the sport for a few short years. Despite recognising that her personal best lifts (in the snatch and clean and jerk) were 50kgs less than the Olympic Record, Tia-Clair deserved her spot and was set to represent the green and gold with pride.
Toomey finished 14th overall, with a total of 189kg Total (82kg Snatch / 107kg Clean & Jerk). The support for Tia-Clair was overwhelming, Australian’s waking up in the early hours of the morning to catch a glimpse of her lifts and will her in pursuit of her dreams in the green and gold.
One thing Australia is known for is the tall poppy syndrome. It didn’t take long for this to surface. One journalist in Australia decided to take it upon himself to critise the achievements of Toomey. Roy Masters, former Rugby League player turned journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald released this article after Toomey finished 14th in the 58kg Women’s Category for Weightlifting.
The 23-year-old came second at the World CrossFit Games this year but clearly all that exercise, including bizarre events such as handstand walking, ocean swimming and “suicide sprinting” does not prepare a woman for the snatch and the clean and jerk of Olympic weightlifting.
Sure, Masters could be forgiven at the ripe old age of 74 that he has not been exposed to CrossFit. One of if not, the fastest growing strength and conditioning program throughout the world. Masters was rapid in his words to strike down the achievements of the Australian.
“second fittest woman in the world” but Australia’s Tia Toomey is only the 14th strongest, based on the results of weightlifting at the Rio Olympics … and that’s only in the 58kg class.”
Demonstrating an ignorance, laziness or simply a willingness to pen an article that would elicit a response from the readership. Masters could be accused of all of these, then some.
Fellow CrossFit Games veteran Khan Porter threw his weight behind Toomey, posting this on his facebook page. Porter called out Masters and the Sydney Morning Herald on their “atrocious journalism, biased and obviously driven by an anti CrossFit agenda.”
We will leave you with our final words, which could not be better said than those of Khan Porter:
Tia is an incredible athlete, AN OLYMPIAN and an awesome human being who has been able to qualify to represent her country in two sports.
Much Love Tia!
