Tia-Clair Toomey and Justin Medeiros Win "Fittest On Earth" Titles at 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games

MADISON, Wis., Aug. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Two icons of CrossFit added to their historic legacies, while a new podium arrival staked a claim to the future at the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games.

Women's champion Tia-Clair Toomey further solidified her status as the greatest of all time after dominating the women's individual competition for a record fifth consecutive championship. In the men's division, Justin Medeiros held off all challengers by notching a win in the 15^th and final event of the competition to become the youngest man ever to win the title.

CrossFit Mayhem Freedom – made up of Chase Hill, Andrea Nisler, Taylor Williamson and captained by four-time individual champion Rich Froning, Jr. – took home the team title for the third consecutive time, after the 2020 team competition was cancelled due to the pandemic.

"For 15 years, we've challenged the world's greatest athletes to prove themselves as the Fittest on Earth, and this year Tia and Justin left no doubt that each of them deserved that title," said Dave Castro, CrossFit's GM of Sport. "It's appropriate that this year's podium showcased not only two of the greatest in history in Tia and Rich but also first-time champions like Justin, Andrea, Taylor, and Chase. It's been an amazing season, and I'm looking forward to watching even more great competition unfold over the coming year."

Toomey jumped to the front on day one and never looked back, establishing herself as the leader in the first event and not relinquishing her lead over the four days of individual competition. The Australian has worn the white "Leader" jersey every day of Games competition since the third event of 2019. In addition to tying the all-time record for championships, Toomey's nine event wins in 2021 brought her career total to 33, the most individual event wins in the sport's history. 

"Looking back on the weekend, I'm really happy with my performance, but far from satisfied," said Toomey. "It wouldn't have been possible without Shane, my parents, and my PRVN Fitness team. I'm just so pleased I got to showcase my hard work to the world."

On the men's side, the title race remained close until the very end. Medeiros, in just his second appearance in the Games, took the leader jersey on Friday and stayed ahead of the pack on the leaderboard over the final two days of competition, clinching the title by winning the last event, which was also his first Games event win.

"It hasn't sunk in yet that I won," said Medeiros. "I am incredibly proud to be called the Fittest Man on Earth, and I am grateful for my family, my coach and my team for helping me get here."

CrossFit Mayhem Freedom (Cookeville, TN), led by four-time men's individual Champion Rich Froning, Jr., turned in a dominant performance winning eight events en route to the team's third consecutive team championship and record fifth overall. Joining CrossFit Mayhem on the podium were CrossFit Oslo (Norway) in second place and CrossFit Genas (France) in third, which were the first two European teams to podium at the Games. 

"It's been great to be part of the CrossFit Games' triumphant return to Madison after an incredibly challenging year for professional sports," said CrossFit CEO Eric Roza. "The passion of our fans in the stands and millions of viewers around the world for the staggering performances of our athletes has filled me with excitement about CrossFit's future."

Joining Toomey on the women's podium was Hungary's Laura Horvath, who finished in second place for the second time in her career, and two-time CrossFit Games Champion Annie Thorisdottir in third, marking her sixth time on the Games podium. Thorisdottir returned to CrossFit competition less than a year after welcoming her first daughter.

Familiar faces joined Medeiros on the men's individual podium with Canada's Patrick Vellner in second and Brent Fikowski in third. For Vellner, this marks his fourth podium finish at the Games and for Fikowski, his second. 

The 15^th edition of the CrossFit Games featured the individual and team competitions as well as 18 age-based and six adaptive divisions, which brought more than 600 elite athletes to Madison for the finals of the global competition. With the completion of the 2021 season, CrossFit also shared the start date of the 2021 CrossFit Open, which will begin on Feb. 24, 2022.

All the details of the events can be found at https://games.crossfit.com/workouts/games/2021, while the final leaderboard, is at https://games.crossfit.com/leaderboard/games/2021 . Additional information about the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games, including competition history and interviews with the athletes, can be found at games.crossfit.com.

About CrossFit:

CrossFit® is the world's leading platform for improving health, happiness, and performance. In the 20 years since its founding, CrossFit has grown from a garage gym in Santa Cruz, California, into the world's best-known fitness brand. CrossFit is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone, and millions of people have already experienced CrossFit's transformational benefits through workouts in more than 12,000 affiliated gyms across 150+ countries. CrossFit, LLC also runs the CrossFit Games season, beginning with the annual CrossFit Open, through which athletes at every level compete worldwide, and culminating in the CrossFit Games, where top athletes compete for the title of Fittest on Earth®. To learn more, visit www.CrossFit.com.

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SOURCE CrossFit LLC