Freezing temperatures finally broke in the upper Midwest in time for Games giants Julie Foucher and Lauren Brooks to descend upon the CrossFit Chicago March 12 for week three of the 2015 Reebok CrossFit Games Open.

 

In week one, Rich Froning and Mat Fraser went head to head in a nine-minute AMRAP of toes-to-bar, deadlifts and snatches, followed by establishing a one-rep max in the clean and jerk. Week two featured Emily Bridgers and Michele Letendre repeating last year’s hellish 3-minute series of overhead squats and chest-to-bar pull-ups in increasing numbers for as long as possible.

 

Fans’ and Open athletes’ predictions for 15.3 vary from muscle-up buy-ins followed by an intense chipper of wall balls, box jumps and double-unders, to a death-by thruster/burpee AMRAP.

 

Many speculate on social media that because this WOD is sponsored by jump rope manufacturer Rx Smart Gear, it has to include some combination of double- -- or even triple- -- unders. This being the Open, double-unders seem more likely.

 

More support for the chipper theory: Foucher and Brooks both excel in body-movement exercises. Currently sitting in 23 on the Open Leaderboard, Foucher placed in the top 10 for 15.1 and top 20 for 15.2, but took a hit in 15.1a for her one-rep max clean and jerk. Brooks fared better in 15.1a, placing 29th in the world; but she has yet to finish in the top-100 in a 2105 Open WOD.

 

In the 2014 Open, Foucher finished second in 14.4, which included wall balls and muscle-ups. A rookie in 2014, Brooks finished in the top-75 in 14.4. Brooks’ strength lies in her speed. In the 2014 Games, she took first or second in the three sprint events and in the Triple-3 event, which featured rowing, double unders and a 3-mile run, she placed 10th. Foucher placed 6th.

 

Historically, Week Three of the Open has favored bodyweight movements. Three years ago, 12.3 featured box jumps and toes-to-bars along with a push press; a year later, athletes were challenged with an AMRAP of 150 wall balls, 90 double-unders and 30 muscle-ups; and last year box jumps and heavy deadlifts tested athletes for an eight-minute AMRAP. In 2014, the wall balls and muscle-ups didn’t come until week four. 

 

For those predicting thrusters in week three -- those buggers have come in the final week of every CrossFit Games Open. But, of course, it’s Dave Castro’s game and he can do what he wants.

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