Reebok CrossFit Games - masters

[Steve Loeding]

I think there would be a lot more people in the age group of 40-45 trying out for the games if in fact the masters did start at 40 (why don't they - anyone ?) It's simply a fact that MOST 40 yr old people cannot continue to compete with 25-30 yr old people - just take a look at most sports - very rarely do athletes continue to compete after 35 yrs old.

why not have a 40-45, 45-50, 50-60, 60+ divisions

[Shawn Hiller]

Originally Posted by Steve Loeding

I think there would be a lot more people in the age group of 40-45 trying out for the games if in fact the masters did start at 40 (why don't they - anyone ?) It's simply a fact that MOST 40 yr old people cannot continue to compete with 25-30 yr old people - just take a look at most sports - very rarely do athletes continue to compete after 35 yrs old.

why not have a 40-45, 45-50, 50-60, 60+ divisions

Agreed.. I work pretty hard to keep up with the whipper snappers at our Affiliate....

[Jeff Binek]

Originally Posted by Tom McFarlane

So only three of the nearly one hundred competitors were 40+. And only one of the three, Brost, made it past the cut and completed all of the events. Kind of proves my point, I think

Just because a master's division exists doesn't mean you have to compete in it once you are old enough. No one forced Dara Torres to swim in her age group, after all. The age group category would make the competition more appealing to people like me, but it wouldn't stop a Brost from going out and kicking butt in the main event.

I think that that disproves your point. If someone at or above 40 CAN and HAS proven that you are able to compete and kick butt in the open division then why would you need your own category? They have to make the cut off somewhere, it's like the BCS argument. As soon as you make it 40, then all the 39 year olds who can't cut it in the open division will start clamoring for their own division, and call for 35-40...TBH you probably have a better shot at this point (if you are that good) to make the top 60 in your REGION and get to move on (or go team) - than you do to make the top 20 in the WORLD to move on in the masters....

My honest opinion is that no one has any room to complain until they have DONE the workouts and seen where things shake out...It is unlikely (statistically) that anyone complaining here will make top 20 in the 45 year old division, at whatever age everyone who is complaining here is. See where it shakes out, if you make top 20 in the world in the 45 y/o division AND do NOT make your regional, then come here complaining, you will have a valid argument...but I would bet that will not happen.

My signature reigns true here...read.

[Scott Jenkins]

Im glad that there is not a 40-44 year division as you have no choice but to be put into it , unless of course you lie about your age. Im nowhere near ready to be written off from competing with everyone and have made it to every regional so far since they began in 2009. Luckily here in Europe you get to choose whether you enter a masters division or not and I again will be entering the UK Games in the open and not in the 40+.

[Milton Brisson]

Love the outlook Scott!!!! Now, go take down all those whipper-snappers!

[Tom McFarlane]

Originally Posted by Jeff Binek

TBH you probably have a better shot at this point (if you are that good) to make the top 60 in your REGION and get to move on (or go team) - than you do to make the top 20 in the WORLD to move on in the masters....

You really aren't thinking through the math here. If only one man and two women in the 40-44 age group qualified for the games last year, then -- by definition -- at least 19 more men and 18 more women in the 40-44 age group would have qualified last year if 40-44 were a master's category with 20 slots for the games.

[Tom McFarlane]

Originally Posted by Scott Jenkins

Im glad that there is not a 40-44 year division as you have no choice but to be put into it , unless of course you lie about your age.

Not true. Dara Torres is old enough to be a master's category swimmer, but she doesn't compete in the master's category.

[Scott Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Tom McFarlane

Not true. Dara Torres is old enough to be a master's category swimmer, but she doesn't compete in the master's category.

I was talking about The Crossfit Games, not every sport in the world. When you apply for the open they automatically put you in a region and your age category without choice.

[Scott Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Milton Brisson

Love the outlook Scott!!!! Now, go take down all those whipper-snappers!

Thanks Milt, I overheard the masters group having a chat at the UK games last year and it was all age related, like they were talking themselves into being slower than the younger guys. I compete with the young ones all the time, in competition and at the affiliate and totally forget I am older than them, helps that CF gyms do not have mirrors like the old globo's too!

[Steve Loeding]

Scott - it's awesome you're kicking the snot out of they younger guys. However, there is ample evidence that age DOES matter when it comes to performance. To deny that the vast majority (90% + I'd wager) have slowed down from what they could do at 25 to what they are capable of now at 40-45 goes against proof. Look at the open wods and results last year.

Here is a cool site that tells you what you had to score based on your age, height, weight - if you keep your height and weight the same and simply change the age, the scores change quite a bit.

http://www.fuguescience.com/crossfithttp://www.fuguescience.com/crossfit

WFS by the way

try it for yourselves and see - this is based on data from those who registered for the 2011 open, so there is ample data.