With the 2023 CrossFit Games event announcements that have been made so far, we have been led to believe that there will be at least four single modality events:
The question we’re after today is, are four single modality events more than usual at the Games?
Year by Year
Here is the breakdown of single modality (monostructural, gymnastics, weightlifting) event count by year at the CrossFit Games. *The events, by year, are listed at the end of the article.
| Year | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | Total |
| M | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 31 |
| G | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| W | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 35 |
| Total | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 76 |
So, the short answer is no. Four single modality events is not more than usual. There have been an average of 4.75 across the 16 CrossFit Games. Rounding up to an average of five events, we’d expect one more single modality event to be revealed at the 2023 CrossFit Games. The question now becomes, what do we expect it to be?
What Else Is Likely to Show Up?
There have been roughly an average of two weightlifting-only, two monostructural-only, and one gymnastics-only event per CrossFit Games. Given the already known events, we’d expect one more weightlifting-only event to be programmed.
Weightlifting-only events most frequently occur as a max strength event and a speed or cycle rate event. With the Olympic Weightlifting Total already announced, we’d expect to see a speed event like The Plow or Snatch Speed Ladder, or a cycle rate event like Heavy DT or Double Grace.
Why Doesn’t Gymnastics Get A Spotlight?
Gymnastics is the least programmed as a single modality at every CrossFit Games except in 2010. In the first 10 years of the CrossFit Games, only three years had a gymnastics-only event. Every year since 2017 has had a gymnastics-only event except for 2022.
Across a database of over 200 competitions, there have been 119 weightlifting, 58 gymnastics, and 22 monostructural movements programmed. Gymnastics has the second most movements, yet has one-third the number of single modality events compared to monostructural and weightlifting.
Gymnastics and Jump Ropes
As an example, twice at the Games has gymnastics movements paired with a jump rope (monostructural). In 2018, Handstand Walk started with 50 heavy rope double unders. In 2022, Skill Speed Medley had multiple gymnastics movements with the jump rope sandwiched in the middle of the event. Without the jump rope, 2018 and 2022 would be more balanced with regards to single modality events. Did the jump rope add enough to either, or both, of these events that it was worth including them?
If history repeats itself, the Gymnastics Skills test will be the only gymnastics-only event at the Games this year. But this is CrossFit, and with Adrian Bozman in his second year of programming the Games, we can’t discount the possibility of a gymnastics-favored Games, including the possibility of multiple gymnastics-only tests.
Single Modality Events By Year at the CrossFit Games
2007
Monostructural: Trail Run
Weightlifting: CrossFit Total
2008
Monostructural: Hill Run
Weightlifting: Squat Grace
2009
Monostructural: 7K Hill Run, Sandbag Sprint
Weightlifting: Deadlift, Couplet, Snatch
2010
Gymnastics: The Final 3
Weightlifting: Shoulder-to-Overhead, Sandbag Move
2011
None
2012
Monostructural: Pendleton 1, Pendleton 2, Sprint
Gymnastics: Obstacle Course, Broad Jump
Weightlifting: Ball Toss, Clean Ladder, Isabel
2013
Monostructural: Row 1, Row 2, Zigzag Sprint
Weightlifting: Clean & Jerk Ladder
2014
Monostructural: Triple 3
Weightlifting: Overhead Squat, Sprint Sled 1, Sprint Sled 2, Clean Speed Ladder, Double Grace
2015
Monostructural: Pier Paddle, Sprint Course 1, Sprint Course 2
Weightlifting: Sandbag 2015, Snatch Speed Ladder, Heavy DT, Clean and Jerk
2016
Monostructural: Ranch Trail Run, Ocean Swim, Suicide Sprint
Gymnastics: Handstand Walk
Weightlifting: Ranch Deadlift Ladder, Squat Clean Pyramid, Double DT, The Plow
2017
Monostructural: Run Swim Run, Cyclocross
Gymnastics: Sprint O-Course
Weightlifting: 1RM Snatch
2018
Monostructural: Crit, Marathon Row, Madison Triplus
Gymnastics: 30 Muscle Ups
Weightlifting: CrossFit Total, Clean & Jerk Speed Ladder
2019
Monostructural: Ruck, Sprint, Swim Paddle
Gymnastics: Mary
Weightlifting: Clean
2020
Monostructural: 1000m Row, Corn Sack Sprint, Ranch Trail Loop
Gymnastics: Handstand Hold, Handstand Sprint
Weightlifting: 1RM Front Squat, CrossFit Total, Snatch Speed Triple
2021
Monostructural: Event 1, Event 3
Gymnastics: Event 8
Weightlifting: Event 12
2022
Monostructural: Rinse ‘N’ Repeat
Weightlifting: Sandbag Ladder, The Alpaca, Back Nine
What do you think?
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