Opinion | 2021 CrossFit Games: four men who could succeed Mat Fraser atop the men’s division
- Canadian veterans Patrick Vellner and Brent Fikowski joined by young Americans Justin Medeiros and Jayson Hopper on list
- The quartet have all proven over time, or lately, that they can beat the best in the game during live, in-person competition with fans
Winning means beating every other person. While that may seem obvious, it’s important to the conversation. It’s perfectly reasonable to debate why someone like Noah Ohlsen or Bjorgvin Karl Gudmundsson can win. But when you consider that they have never beaten Patick Vellner in a full breadth of live competition since 2016, it’s hard to give much credence to the position.
Vellner’s resume, excluding the past two Games, over the past five years speaks for itself. He’s taken first, second or third at every live event where he was able to complete the entire test: 11 to be exact.
The second man who could win should be fairly evident based on that list, and it’s another Canadian, Brent Fikowski. Not only is Fikowski the only man other than Fraser who has beaten Vellner in live competition in recent history, he’s done it at competitions which most closely replicate what we are likely to see this month.
