CrossFit Games 2014: Event Schedule, Dates, Top Athletes and More

Since their inception in 2007, the CrossFit Games have stood alone, testing athletes around the world in various exercises that demand the utmost functional strength. Or as the Games call it, finding the "Fittest on Earth."

Whether it's ocean swims, sandbag carries, relay runs, deadlifts or more, the 2014 iteration of the event is sure to weed out the pretenders who have made it to this weekend's three-day finale while once again furthering the sport's reach around the globe.

The bevy of functional movements serves a purpose, as the Games' official website explains:

"

Functional movements move large loads, long distances, quickly. These movements also form the basis of our exercise program. Make no mistake—the CrossFit Games are designed to test, not train fitness. The goal is to find the fittest athletes, not to produce an easily replicable workout program.

"

With that in mind, let's take a look at the complete schedule and other pertinent info surrounding the event. 

Date and TV Info	Competition	Time (PST)
Thursday, July 24
	Masters Competition	9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday, July 25 (ESPN, 6 - 7 p.m. PT)
	6-Mile Relay Run (Team)	9 - 9:50 a.m.
	Triple 3 (Individual Men)	10 - 10:45 a.m.
	Triple 3 (Individual Women)	10 - 10:45 a.m.
	Frantasy Land (Team)	11 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
	1RM Deadlift (Team)	1 - 2:15 p.m.
	Sprint Sled (Individual Men)	2:45 - 3:15 p.m.
	Sprint Sled (Individual Women)	3:15 - 3:45 p.m.
Saturday, July 26 (ESPN, 5 - 7 p.m. PT)
	Triples Chipper (Team)	9 - 10:30 a.m.
Sunday, July 27 (ESPN 2, 5 - 6 p.m. PT)
	Team Fifties (Team)	9 - 10:15 a.m.

The Three-Stage Journey 

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This weekend's event is by no means a standalone act.

Athletes around the globe have been working toward this moment since Jan. 15—the official beginning of the season—when a worldwide, five-week competition was held. Any and all comers were accepted, although the spots to move on to the next stage were limited.

Best of all? Participants don't know which event they will compete in until they arrive.

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Stage 2, otherwise known as regionals, was a three-day event in the 17 regions to further reduce the field to get to this point. It's still a remarkable crop of athletes for the finale in Carson, California.

There, the field will be reduced until the 50 fittest men and 50 fittest women remain, utilizing a scoring system that the website says is "a relative scoring system. That is, athletes are rewarded according to their placing in each event relative to their peers—not according to their absolute performance on that event."

In other words, the randomness of the events and how athletes are ranked truly unearths the best among those in attendance.

Top Athletes

Donna Dowd

One of the more recognizable names in Carson this weekend will be Donna Dowd, the No. 18 overall ranked athlete in the world in her specific age group, per WDNH in Dothan, Alabama.

The St. Joseph’s College graduate is an accomplished runner and acts as CrossFit Embrace’s senior fundamentals instructor after coming across the sport back in 2010. Since, she has gained Level-1 certification and was an early standout as the No. 29 ranked athlete in the 2012 CrossFit Games Open qualifications.

It seems as if success of the highest order has been a long time coming for Dowd in her recently discovered passion, so keep a watchful eye on her placements as the weekend progresses.

Jenn Jones

A three-time CrossFit Games participant, Jenn Jones is on the hunt to "first and foremost have fun and not be stressed and hopefully end up on the podium," per Courtney Stefancyk of the Houston Chronicle.

Anyone who has seen her work the past few seasons can confirm that a podium trim seems to be in the cards.

A nurse by trade, 29-year-old Jones has had plenty of success in the past. She has come in first place at her regional event for the past three years in a row, but that's just the beginning of her recent accolades. 

In 2012, she wound up No. 28 overall on the women's side at the national spectacle and followed that up with a sixth-place finish the year after.

The former gymnast at Western Michigan University has only been aware of the sport for four years but seems destined to have another top-flight performance in Carson.

Bjorgvin Karl Gudmundsson

One of Europe's top qualifiers has become something of a prophet, as captured by Facundo Etchecolatz of Crossfit.com:

"'One day, I'll be going to the Games,' Bjorgvin Karl Gudmundsson told his brother in early 2012, only a few weeks after his first workout at a CrossFit affiliate in Iceland."

Gudmundsson was dominant in the Europe Regional, finishing in the top five in four of the random events.

As a sampler of his talents, understand that he snatched 255 pounds and walked 265 feet—on his hands.

For Gudmundsson, the accomplishment of being invited to Carson is a highlight, to say the least:

“Pull-ups and overhead squats are my jam,” he said, per Etchecolatz. “I came out of the pull-ups first and ended taking up second place in this event. There it was: a Games ticket in my hands and the best moment of my life.”

Gudmundsson has a serious shot at quickly obtaining another crowning achievement. He says his routine has not changed much, and he's only been giving it a go for a few years, which means he has the natural talent to place in the top 50.