A hush went over the Internet at 5 PM PST, March 6, 2013. The first workout of the CrossFit Open was announced. Open workouts tend to have their own flavor. They’re usually short, concise, and accessible, relying on the classic CrossFit format of the couplet or triplet. Despite being programmed for maximum compliance across the spectrum of age and experience, the Open is a pretty good barometer for competition, meaning that the very best Games competitors usually place best in the Open. Usually, but not always.
The Week 2 workout (also referred to as 13.2) contained box jumps, which recently had its movement standards changed. Previously, athletes were allowed to rebound of the top of the box without extending their hips as long as they extended them in the air above the box. This made for a very fast and effcient competition-style jump. This rebounding box jump was eliminated in 2012, and for 2013 the rule changed again to allow athletes to do a one-footed step-up while still achieving full hip extension on top of the box. Judging by the flux in scores for Week 2, and the disqualifications of the original male and female leaders for incorrect movement standards, it seems that the evolution of the box jump standard created confusion.
“I think there were a lot of questionable movements in 13.2 with the box jumps,” says Kenneth Leverich. “I feel like not a lot of people upheld that movement standard very well. When I did it, I made sure I had full control and full lockout at the top of the box. But there was so much discrepancy in that one. Here I have almost all top 10 finishes, then one 86th place? I can’t see how that happened. But I don’t care. You can be first in the Open—that still doesn’t mean you make it to the Games.”
If 90 reps [3 rounds] are completed in less than 4 minutes, time extends to 8 minutes. If 180 reps [6 rounds] are completed in less than 8 minutes, time extends to 12 minutes. If 270 reps [9 rounds] are completed in less than 12 minutes, time extends to 1
