Podium Picks and Athletes to Watch

Women’s Division

The battle for the podium will likely come down to five women, three Games veterans, a Games rookie, and a young gun. Among the top contenders are:

Karin Freyova

Freyova has won back-to-back Dubai Fitness Championships and is the favorite to win her third in a row. She also had the top finish out of the field in the Semifinals this year after taking fourth in the French Throwdown.

Matilda Garnes

Garnes was a member of Team Peak 360 and finished third at the CrossFit Games this year. In her first competition as an individual after the CrossFit Games, she had a dominant victory at the Belgrade Games, finishing in the top two in all six events.

Elisa Fuliano

The Italian finished fifth in her first appearance in the Dubai Fitness Championship last year. At the Belgrade Games last month, Fuliano won the final four events on her way to a second-place finish behind Garnes.

Linda Keesman

The 2024 CrossFit Games rookie earned a 19th-place finish in Fort Worth, TX this summer. Looking back at Semifinals, her seventh-place performance at the French Throwdown would have been good enough for ninth on a combined, global Semifinals leaderboard, ahead of all other Dubai competitors except for Karin Freyova.

Anikha Greer

The young Canadian missed the CrossFit Games by 1 point in 2024 and 3 points in 2023 at the North America East Semifinals. Those close calls have overshadowed the successful off-season campaigns she’s had in recent years. In 2023, Greer had second-place finishes in both the Down Under Championship and the Madrid Championship, beating several Games athletes along the way.

Other Women to Watch

Kristin Holte and Jamie Simmonds, 2019 CrossFit Games podium finishers, are back on the individual floor together this week. Emily De Rooy, a 2023 CrossFit Games team competition winner, is also competing as an individual for the first time.

Podium Picks

1. Karin Freyova
2. Anikha Greer
3. Matilda Garnes

Men’s Division

The men’s field is not as deep as the women’s when it comes to elite competition experience. However, it does have a number of athletes on the upswing of their careers, which will make all the action on the competition floor interesting. Among the top contenders are:

Moritz Fiebig

Fiebig took a big step forward in 2023 with his 21st-place finish at the CrossFit Games. Last month, Fiebig won the Belgrade Games impressively by taking first in four out of the six events.

Luka Djukic

Djukic was on his way to a career year until tragedy struck and he lost his brother Lazar at the 2024 CrossFit Games. He won the UAE Storm Games earlier this year before an impressive fifth-place finish at the French Throwdown.

Calum Clements

The Spaniard is one of only two athletes in the field at Dubai to finish in the top 20 at the CrossFit Games after finishing 20th earlier this year. From an offseason competition perspective, in 2022, Clements finished sixth at the Madrid Championship.

Spencer Panchik

The Panchik twin has the best CrossFit Games career finish among all the male athletes competing in Dubai this year. He finished 17th in 2023. While Panchik has had a disappointing 2024 so far, he has the proven ability to finish the year off strong.

Bronislaw Olenkowicz

Olenkowicz is the oldest man in the field in Dubai, but can still throw down with the youngsters. He is only one year removed from his career-best 26th-place finish at the CrossFit Games.

Podium Picks

1. Moritz Fiebig
2. Luka Djukic
3. Calum Clements

The Prize Purse

The Dubai Fitness Championship has one of the top prize purses in the sport. With podium finishers taking home $50,000 for first, $30,000 for second, and $20,000 for third, there is plenty of reason for athletes to go all out. Even the athletes who aren’t in contention for the podium have a reason to go for broke on their wheelhouse events. The top three finishers in each event will receive a cash prize of $1,500, $1,000, and $750.

Conclusion

The Dubai Fitness Championship promises to be an exciting competition, with a mix of experienced athletes and newcomers vying for the top spot. With a strong prize purse and a competitive field, athletes will be pushed to their limits to come out on top.

FAQs

* What is the prize purse for the Dubai Fitness Championship?
The prize purse is $200,000, with $50,000 going to the first-place finisher, $30,000 to the second-place finisher, and $20,000 to the third-place finisher.
* How many athletes will be competing in the Dubai Fitness Championship?
There will be 30 men and 30 women competing in the Dubai Fitness Championship.
* Who are the top contenders for the women’s division?
The top contenders for the women’s division are Karin Freyova, Anikha Greer, Matilda Garnes, Elisa Fuliano, and Linda Keesman.
* Who are the top contenders for the men’s division?
The top contenders for the men’s division are Moritz Fiebig, Luka Djukic, Calum Clements, Spencer Panchik, and Bronislaw Olenkowicz.