Week 1 of the 2018 Reebok CrossFit Games Regionals kicked off on Friday, and with it, the second of CrossFit's three stages to find the "Fittest on Earth" is underway.
Deemed one of the fastest growing sports in America thanks to its worldwide use of high-intensity exercises and real-world obstacles to identify Earth's fittest workout warriors, CrossFit's 2018 competition has been running since February. Those with the best scores from each of 18 global regions have since advanced to Regionals, the last stage of workouts before August's championships at the 2018 Reebok CrossFit Games.
Here's everything you need to know about the East Regional:
Where is it?
The East competition will take place at Times Union Center in Albany, New York.
When is it?
The East competition started on Friday, May 18, and runs until Sunday, May 20.
Here are the times for Sunday's final day of competition.
Sunday: 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET
How to watch
The CrossFit Regionals will be available to stream on CBSSports.com, the CBS Sports app for key connected TV devices including Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku, and the CBS Sports mobile app for iOS and Android.
You can also tune in on Saturday, May 19, on CBS from 2-3 p.m. ET for a one-hour program on the first weekend of the CrossFit Regionals. The one-hour program on CBS Sports on Saturday, May 19, will focus on top stories for key athletes who will ultimately battle for the title of "Fittest on Earth." Host Sean Woodland, along with fellow host Rory McKernan and CrossFit analyst Pat Sherwood, will provide insight and analysis for Week 1's competition.
Who is competing?
Here are some of the top names to watch at the East Regional:
Katrin Davidsdottir: Hailing from Iceland, the former gymnast and track athlete took 30th in her first CrossFit Games appearance in 2012 after less than a year of practicing the regimen, and since then, she's become one of the top women's athletes to ever compete in CrossFit, winning the Games twice (2015, 2016) and appearing in them two other times. The 25-year-old ranks first out of Massachusetts and eighth in the world in the women's division.
Kari Pearce: A two-time podium finisher at the East Regional, Pearce made her CrossFit Games debut in 2015 and finished in 21st place. A year later, she catapulted to fifth place at the Games. The 28-year-old New York standout entered last year's regional ranked second in the world in the women's division and comes in this year at No. 20.
Patrick Vellner: The bronze finisher at the CrossFit Games in both 2016 and 2017, he's consistently been among the top men's competitors of recent years, first appearing in the Open in 2013 and making his regional debut a year later. A full-time chiropractic student, the 27-year-old boasts a 555-lb. deadlift and enters the Regionals as Ontario's top athlete and the No. 5 contender in the world.
Alex Vigneault: A future police officer from Quebec, the 25-year-old made his first regional appearance in 2014 at the Canada East Regional and made his CrossFit Games debut in 2015 with an 11th-place finish, which he improved to ninth in 2016 with four top-10 event finishes. Also a former hockey player, Vigneault enters the regional ranked second worldwide in the men's division and first in Quebec and the Canada East region.
Tim Paulson: Co-owner of a CrossFit gym in New York, he made his debut in the Open competition back in 2012 and returned six consecutive years before advancing to his first Games in 2017, when he finished 19th. A five-time Regional competitor, the 28-year-old Ithaca native enters with the best worldwide men's ranking (ninth) of his CrossFit career.
