Hunter McIntyre: Yay or Nay?

If you’re a CrossFit Games fan, and you’ve been trying your best to navigate the new Games Season and Games qualifying process, then you may have read or heard a little bit about Hunter McIntyre. Hunter, who is NOT a competitive CrossFit athlete, does have an impressive record of athletic achievements:

  • six-time Obstacle Course Racing World Champion

  • four-time Obstacle Course Racing National Champion

  • three-year Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Ranch Champion

  • two-time Tough Mudder X Champion

But it’s Hunter’s claims (which he has often made boldly and in confident, boisterous fashion) that he can hang with the big guns in the world of competitive CrossFit that have brought much attention to this multi-disciplinary sport athlete. Here he is recently in an interview with Morning Chalk Up discussing why he deserves the newly minted “wild card” entry into the CrossFit Games:

Well, he officially got the nod this week and accepted the at-large wildcard bid to compete later this summer in Madison against the fittest in the world.

Many past and present CrossFit Games athletes have engaged in trash talking exchanges with Hunter (including some VERY heated words with perennial podium favorite, Brent Fikowski), but others in the CrossFit community have also welcomed him and offered to train with him to help develop some of the more technical aspects of the sport of competitive fitness.

What are your thoughts on this “wild card villain of CrossFit” — yay or nay? Are you Team Hunter or do you hope to see him fall on his face on the big stage? One thing is for sure, it makes for some interesting debate — and a lot of us will have our eyes on Hunter in a couple of months when the lights come on and the Games go down….

I don’t think anyone feels he has a chance to unseat the undisputed king of CrossFit, Mat Fraser, but the question is can Hunter make an impact in a field of athletes who train specifically for competitive CrossFit at the highest level?

WOD For 05-30-19:

3 Rounds For Quality (Not For Time):

10 Handstand Shoulder Taps (alternate)

10 Single Arm Dumbbell Overhead Squats @ pick load (5 R / 5 L)

100m Single Arm Dumbbell or Kettlebell Farmer Carry @ pick load


-then-


A) With a Partner, MAX CALORIES in 6 Minutes:

Partner 1: 20 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 109 ft

Partner 2: MAX CALORIES Row, Ski, or Assault Bike

Partner 1 performs 20 wall balls while Partner 2 performs MAX CALS row/ski/bike.

Switch after Partner 1 completes 20 wall balls.

Continue switching in this fashion until 6 minutes expires.

Score = total # of calories completed by the team.


B) REST 4 Minutes


C) With a Partner, MAX CALORIES in 6 Minutes:

Partner 1: 36 Double Unders

Partner 2: MAX CALORIES Row, Ski, or Assault Bike

Partner 1 performs 36 double unders while Partner 2 performs MAX CALS row/ski/bike.

Switch after Partner 1 completes 36 double unders.

Continue switching in this fashion until 6 minutes expires.

Score = total # of calories completed by the team.

*** This is a FAST back-and-forth if your team is good at double unders, which means TRANSITIONS MATTER!

Jenny Morgan