The two-time fittest woman in the world will not be competing in the 2020 CrossFit Games, she announced Friday.
CrossFit athlete and gymnast Annie Thorisdottir announced she will decline her invitation to compete at the 2020 CrossFit Games, despite qualifying after winning after a second place finish at the 2020 CrossFit Open. Her place at the games will instead be taken by Maddie Sturt. Thorisdottir’s decision did not come as a surprise to fans, since she announced on her Instagram that she and partner (and fellow CrossFit athlete) Frederik Aegidius were expecting their first child together.
CrossFit shared the following official statement about Thorisdottir and Sturt on their website yesterday: “Two-time Fittest Woman on Earth, five-time podium finisher 11-time CrossFit Games qualifier Annie Thorisdottir has declined her invitation to the 2020 Reebok CrossFit Games. Thorisdottir’s spot will pass to Maddie Sturt, who sits next in line for an invite as a result of placement in the 2020 CrossFit Open.”
Obviously, it’s a disappointment to fans who have long admired Thorisdottir’s impressive physique and the skill she brings to the CrossFit arena that she won’t be competing this year. But in a sport plagued with athlete withdrawals and suspensions due to injury, it’s nice to know that Thorisdottir is taking some time away from the sport for happier and healthier reasons.
Thorisdottir is a veteran athlete who has made a name for herself in many arenas outside of CrossFit. A former gymnast, ballerina, and pole vaulter, Thorisdottir is widely admired for cultivating a broad skillset when it comes to exercise. She brings together the elegance and self-discipline of ballet with the intensity and raw physical endurance necessary to succeed in the CrossFit world. Overall, she’s a very talented athlete, and definitely has a bright future ahead of her regardless of what she chooses to do going forward.
Thorisdottir is probably best known for beating NFL quarterback Justin Forsett in a push-ups competition despite recently recovering from a back injury. It was a big moment for CrossFit fans everywhere, who often see their sport relegated to the fringes of the fitness world. You can check out the video of Thorisdottir’s unbelievable win below.
Thorisdottir is definitely one of CrossFit’s most promising young athletes and that moment is only one of many that defines her as a unique talent to look out for. Beating an NFL quarterback in a push-ups competition is no easy feat. CrossFit 2020 has lost a serious competitor in her, but it does give relative newcomer Maddie Sturt a welcome opportunity to prove herself on the world stage. Sturt has competed in the CrossFit Games five times, making her the 4th ranked Australian woman to compete in the games and the 38th ranked woman in the world overall. Just like the 2019 Olympia shake-up with the absence of Shawn Rhoden and Phil Heath, it’s an understandably contentious decision, but it is what it is. Part of being a competitive athlete is accepting that personal dedication to fitness is only one variable that plays into success and the rest of it is out of our hands. Now it’s time to see what Maddie Sturt brings to the table.
*All images and media courtesy of Instagram.
