Laurie Matthews, left, Barbara Williams and John McCann who will compete at the Crossfit Masters’ League in Melbourne. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
CROSSFIT
CHRIS COGDALE
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Three members of a Masterton gym have made the New Zealand Masters’ team for a transtasman competition in Melbourne in September.
Laurie Matthews, Barbara Williams and John McCann from the SASSFit Gym qualified for the Crossfit Masters’ League after finishing in the top two in their respective classes in the Crossfit regional championships in Wellington on July 13.
That came after an online competition where the athletes completed a series of workouts every week for four weeks and then submitted their scores to Crossfit’s Australian administrator, Joe Riego.
At the end of the four weeks, the leading contestants qualified for the regional champs.
Crossfit competition is split into three divisions – Soldier for the beginner, Warrior for the intermediate athlete, and Hero for the advanced competitor.
At the regional championships, Laurie Matthews was ranked first in New Zealand in the men’s 35-39 Soldier’s Division, Barbara Williams was first in the women’s 55-59 Soldier’s, and John McCann finished second in the men’s 55-59 Soldier’s Division.
SASSFit director and trainer Tania Karaitiana said it was the first competition for Williams and McCann. It was Matthews’ first masters’ competition, having previously contested the open grade.
The Masters’ League would consist of three or four workouts on the each of two days with the winners decided on the highest points’ aggregate.
“The workouts could consist of anything from Olympic lifting, pull-ups, sprinting with weights, heavy kettleball exercises, short-high intensity movement, and endurance challenges.”
