We’ve reached the start of Semi Finals season, and by the end of the weekend we’ll know the first 2 men and women to clinch their sports for the 2025 CrossFit Games.
Focusing on the men’s side, out of the 20 athletes competing, I think 5 have a strong chance at one of the two Games tickets.
- Austin Hatfield, 3rd place at the 2025 TYR Wodapalooza
- Colten Mertens, 2025 CrossFit Open champion
- James Sprague, 2024 Fittest Man on Earth
- Jayson Hopper, 3rd place at the 2024 Rogue Invitational
- Roman Khrennikov, 2 time CrossFit Games podium finisher
Looking at the favorites, Event 3 could be the make or break event to determine who gets the two CrossFit Games tickets.
Event 3 – Thrusters with Dumbbells
- 27-21-15-9 Double DB Thrusters 55#/40#
- 5/4-4/3-3/2-2/1 Legless Rope Climbs
It’s a classic CrossFit couplet, and for Austin Hatfield and Colten Mertens, it has some Jekyll and Hyde movements.
The Thruster Kings
Austin Hatfield
No has beaten Austin Hatfield in an in-person thruster workout since the 2023 Crash Crucible. Hatfield won both Final2421 and Final1815 at the 2024 CrossFit Games. He also won Cortadito 2.0 at Wodapalooza this year, one of his 3 event wins of the competition.
Typically a thruster workout would be a big win for Hatfield on the schedule. However, the pairing of Legless Rope Climbs may give him some pause.
To his credit, Hatfield won the legless rope climb at Wodapalooza this January. Going back a bit further in his competition history there have been some stumbling blocks. At the 2024 Syndicate Crown he finished 23rd in the Legless Rope Climb event, his worst finish in the competition by 10 spots. At the 2023 North America East Semifinal, Hatfield also recorded a 23rd place finish in Event 6, his second worst event of the weekend.
Colten Mertens
Colten Mertens is fresh off his 2025 CrossFit Open championship, which included an event win in 25.2, and its 54 thrusters. Mertens’ is also on a Thruster event run with wins at both the 2024 Crash Crucible and 2024 NorCal Classic. He is also the last person to beat Austin Hatfield in a thruster event thanks to his event win at the 2023 Crash Crucible.
Legless Rope Climbs are a different story for Mertens. Last year legless rope climbs were the worst events for Colten Mertens at the West Coast Classic, Crash Crucible and Wodapalooza.
Make or Break
With only two CrossFit Games tickets available and 6 scheduled events, there is little room for error at the Mayhem Classic. Which is why having thrusters coupled with legless rope climbs is a tough break for Colten Mertens and Austin Hatfield.
Thruster events would normally be an event this duo would run away with and claim the 100 points for top spot. The inclusion of legless rope climbs makes the end result of this workout unclear.
Will the advantage Mertens and Hatfield have on the thrusters be enough to get them the event win, and gain some points on the other competitors? Or will James Sprauge, who set the world record in the legless rope climb event in 2024 Semi Finals, climb to the top spot?
The other favorites will have their own make or break events. James Sprague’s Games ticket chances will likely come down to Heavy Isabel. Sprague’s worst event finish at the 2024 West Coast Classic was the snatch ladder. An event that Colten Mertens won.
Jayson Hopper’s damage control event will likely involve muscle-ups. Roman Khrennikov, who is more of a generalist, will need to avoid a bottom finish in both Isabel and a to be determined event with muscle-ups.
That’s CrossFit
To succeed at the highest level, CrossFit athletes have to overcome events with movements they are weaker at, while excelling in events that fall into your wheelhouse. That’s what will make Event 3 so intriguing to watch.
Will Mertens and Hatfield be able to gain points on their competitors in an event with Thrusters, where they are two of the best in the world at? Or will they need to find other events to pick up the points they need to finish in the top 2 spots.
