The 2025 CrossFit Games kicked off with a spectacular first day of competition in Albany, New York, featuring intense battles across individual and team divisions. The action began at 8:00 AM EST with Individual Event 1: Run/Row/Run, followed by Team Event 1 at 9:15 AM featuring a longer Team Run/Row/Row format. At 11:10 AM, athletes took on Individual Event 2: All Crossed Up. The afternoon heated up with Team Event 2: Conga Line at 1:05 PM, then back-to-back Team Events 3 and 4, both under the Climbing Couplet banner, at 1:50 PM. Finally, at 2:50 PM, the individuals returned for their own test of the Climbing Couplet.
Day 1 showcased the incredible depth of talent in the sport, with familiar champions reasserting their dominance while newcomers made their mark on the leaderboard. After a grueling day one, Tia-Clair Toomey took the lead in the women’s division, while Jayson Hopper and Jay Crouch tied for first among men. On the other hand, Camel City CrossFit secured first place in the Team division going into day two.
Event 1 Winner: Run/Row/Run
Jeff Adler and Tia Clair Toomey took the win in Event 1 of the 2025 CrossFit Games, dominating the Run/Row/Run at Jennings Landing and kicking off their weekend with a strong first-place finish. The event took place at the scenic off-site location of Jennings Landing, providing a challenging outdoor start to the competition.
Event winners, Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr and Jeffrey Adler, had a (literal) run for their money as fellow competitors Roman Khrennikov and Aimee Cringle tried to track them down every step of the way. The Run/Row/Run format tested the athletes’ endurance and transitions across multiple modalities right from the opening bell.
Notably, Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr beat two-thirds of the men during the 2025 CrossFit Games opening event, showcasing her incredible fitness level and setting the tone for her weekend performance.
Team Event 1 Winner: In the Team division, “Team Oslo Kriger” consisting of Kristin Holte, Oda Lundekvam, Victor Helsinghof, and Tola Morakinyo crushed their version of the event to claim the top spot in Team Event 1 and earn 100 points to start their campaign.
View this post on Instagram
Event 2 Winner: All Crossed Up
Ricky Garard took the win in Event 2 of the 2025 CrossFit Games! Garard held off Jay Crouch and narrowly beat the time set earlier by Justin Medeiros to claim the first event inside MVP Arena. This event marked the first competition inside the main venue, bringing the action indoors after the morning’s outdoor challenge.
The “All Crossed Up” workout featured a complex combination of movements that tested the athletes’ coordination and endurance. The event included 20 wall walks, 10 DB shoulder-to-overheads, 20 double-under cross-overs, 30 toes-to-bars, repeating this sequence multiple times.
In the women’s division, no surprises – as Tia-Clair Toomey won back-to-back events. Toomey held off Danielle Brandon to secure the victory in Event 2, All Crossed Up. This performance solidified her early lead in the overall standings.
Team Event 2 Winner: Team CrossFit Oslo was the only team to complete Event 2 on time in the “Conga Line” format, demonstrating exceptional teamwork and efficiency under pressure.
View this post on Instagram
Team Events 3 & 4 Winner: It’s Complex
CrossFit Mayhem won Event 3, while CrossFit 1124 excelled in the lifting complex and dominated Event 4. In Team Events 3 and 4, athletes tackled the pegboard, snatches, and overhead squats.
These back-to-back team events, collectively known as “It’s Complex,” challenged teams with technical lifting movements and climbing skills. The format required teams to demonstrate both strength and coordination across multiple athletes working simultaneously.
The pegboard climbs added a unique element of upper body endurance and technique, while the barbell complexes tested the teams’ ability to handle heavy loads under fatigue. CrossFit 1124’s dominance in Event 4 particularly highlighted their proficiency with the lifting complex portion of the competition.
View this post on Instagram
Event 3 Winner: Climbing Couplet
Jayson Hopper dominated the pegboards and clean complexes on Day 1, achieving his third career event win at the CrossFit Games. Meanwhile, Feerozah Shagafi earned her first event win at the CrossFit Games in Individual Event 3.
Hopper called out Dave Castro during his post-event interview: “Dave said this was going to be the hardest workout of the week, and he said he wanted me to come in last so I had a little extra motivation.” This victory was particularly satisfying for Hopper, who used Castro’s challenge as fuel for his performance.
The Climbing Couplet featured 4-3-2-1 reps on the pegboard combined with a complex barbell movement pattern. This event tested the athletes’ ability to maintain technique and power output across two very different movement patterns – the demanding upper body strength required for pegboard climbs and the technical precision needed for the barbell complex.
For Feerozah Shagafi, this victory marked a breakthrough moment in her CrossFit Games career, earning her first-ever event win on the sport’s biggest stage. Her performance demonstrated the competitive depth in the women’s field and served notice that she would be a factor throughout the weekend.
View this post on Instagram
Leaderboard Implications
The first day of competition set up intriguing storylines for the remainder of the weekend. Tia-Clair Toomey took the lead in the women’s division, while Jayson Hopper and Jay Crouch tied for first among men. Toomey’s two event wins gave her a commanding early lead, while the tie at the top of the men’s division promised exciting competition ahead.
In the team division, Camel City CrossFit secured first place going into day two, though the competition remained tight with multiple teams showing strong performances across the varied events.
The diversity of Day 1 events – from endurance challenges to technical lifting to climbing skills – provided a comprehensive test of fitness that truly lived up to CrossFit’s mission of finding the “Fittest on Earth.” As athletes headed into Day 2, the stage was set for an epic weekend of competition across all divisions.
1 thought on “CrossFit Games 2025: Day 1 Highlights”
Comments are closed.