A list of Dubai CrossFit Championship athletes invited to the tournament has been released. Notably, Australian athlete and controversial figure Ricky Garard was invited, along with Icelandic powerhouse Sara Sigmundsdottir and French strongman Willy Georges.
The Dubai CrossFit Championship will take place between 16-18 December at the Dubai Free Tennis Stadium and Ski Dubai Mall of the Emirates.
The competition is an invite-only format with some of the best CrossFit athletes around the world receiving the invitation. Here is a breakdown of all 40 athletes invited to the tournament this year.
Full List of Dubai CrossFit Championship Athletes
Men
- Patrick Vellner – 2nd Fittest on Earth
- Björgvin Guðmundsson
- Brent Fikowski – 3rd Fittest on Earth
- Saxon Panchik
- Jonne Koski
- Guilherme Malheiros
- Alex Vigneault
- Lazar Đukić
- Travis Mayer
- Jeffrey Adler
- Andre Houdet
- Henrik Haapalainen
- Jayson Hopper
- Ricky Garard
- Roman Khrennikov
- Shalan Mahmood
- Eliot Simmonds
- Ben Smith
- Uldis Upenieks
- Willy Georges
Women
- Sara Sigmundsdottir
- Laura Horvath – 2nd Fittest on Earth
- Annie Thorisdottir – 3rd Fittest on Earth
- Kristin Holte
- Sam Briggs
- Gabriela Migala
- Kari Pearce
- Katrin Tanja Davidsdottir
- Emma McQuaid
- Kara Saunders
- Haley Adams
- Carolyne Prevost
- Alessandra Pichelli
- Emma Tall
- Amanda Barnhart
- Emma Carry
- Danielle Brandon
- Bethany Shadbourne
- Mallory O’Brien
- Emily Rolfe
Ricky Garard, Sara Sigmundsdottir and Willy Georges Invited
Source: Phot courtesy of CrossFit Inc.The most famous (or infamous) athlete on the Dubai CrossFit Championship invitation list is Ricky Garard.
The Australian athlete finished 3rd at the 2017 CrossFit Games, but later was stripped of his medal and prize money for testing positive for testolone and endurobol. He was banned from competing at CrossFit events for 4 years.
Such ban ends on October 3rd, 2021. The Dubai CrossFit Championship will be Ricky Garard’s first competition since being banned by CrossFit Inc.
The organisation of the Dubai CrossFit Championship revealed that Ricky Garard and Laura Horvath will compete.
Source: SIGMUNDSDOTTIR x WITSara Sigmundsdottir and Willy Georges are two other notable CrossFit legends that could make a comeback at the 2021 Dubai CrossFit Championship. Both athletes missed the CrossFit open due to injuries.
Willy Georges heard a crack on his shoulder after finishing CrossFit Open 21.1 workout. Sara ruptured her ACL (knee ligament) and did not complete a single Open workout this year.
Notable Dubai CrossFit Championship Athletes Not Invited
This year’s CrossFit Games winners are the Dubai CrossFit Championship athletes who are notably not invited.
5x Fittest Woman on Earth Tia-Clair Toomey and Fittest Man on Earth Justin Medeiros.
It is believed that both athletes were not invited as they have agreed to participate in this year’s Rogue Invitational, a competition in Texas that announced a prize purse of at least $1,250,000.
Image Sources
- ricky garard at the CrossFit Games: Phot courtesy of CrossFit Inc.
- Sara Sigmundsdottir: SIGMUNDSDOTTIR x WIT
- Ricky Garard and Sara Sigmundsdottir: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.