What is noticeable about the Middle East and African Regions (which are grouped together by CrossFit into one “Africa” Region) is that in both the male and female categories, there are only three Athletes from Africa.
The Regions as demarcated by CrossFit
Jonne Koski
Jonne Koski entered the international stage in 2014, by winning the Euro Regionals at just 19 years old. A year later, he took first place at the Meridian Regional and a 9th place finish at the CrossFit Games. In 2016 he finished 3th in the Meridian Regionals and moved on to The Games. This year he won the African Open. Koski’s athletic background includes six years of competitive youth swimming in his native Finland. By 16, he had shifted his attention to CrossFit, eventually coming under the wing of fellow Finn Mikko Salo—the 2009 CrossFit Games champion.
Jamie Greene
Born and raised in New Zealand, with a background in gymnastics and rugby, Jamie Greene won the 2016 Reebok CrossFit Games Open as a relative newcomer, taking three third-place finishes and never finished outside the top 12. She´s now training in Abu Dhabi and won the 2017 African Open.
Jason Smith
Jason has competed in every African or Meridian Regional from 2012 to 2016 and will compete again this year. Based in Johannesburg, South Africa this guy is used to the heat that awaits at the Games.
Oddrun Eik Gylfadottir
Elliot Simmonds
British-born Elliot Simmonds qualified for the European Regionals in 2014 less than a year after starting the sport. Now he is a 3-times regional athlete. He competed in the team event with the hugely-successful CrossFit Yas. Alongside athletes Jamie Green and Tammy Robinson, Yas stormed to second place in the Meridian Regional to qualify for the 2015 CrossFit Games.
Jamie Goodwin
Jamie comes from New Zealand, but moved to Australia to refine her coaching skills.
Jaime is now a Coach in CrossFit Yas in Abu Dhabi.
Rasmus Wisbech Andersen
Rasmus is a 3 x CrossFit Games Competitor and a Danish native. He has done CrossFit for the past 6 years, training at famous CrossFit Invictus before starting to coach at CrossFit Alioth in Dubai.
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