Tia-James, an almost unstoppable couple

CrossFit royalty Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr, the seven-time CrossFit Games champion, and teammate James Newbury, a CrossFit Games Team champion, demonstrated their remarkable athleticism by capturing second place in the Mixed Doubles division at Hyrox Brisbane. Their impressive time of 54:11 marked a substantial 1:37 improvement from their previous Hyrox competition in Melbourne just three months earlier, where they finished third.

MELBOURNE —————— BRISBANE

The Dominant CrossFit Duo’s Hyrox Journey

Toomey-Orr, widely regarded as the greatest female CrossFit athlete of all time, brought her legendary determination and fitness to the Hyrox competition. Her transition to this growing fitness sport demonstrates her versatility and commitment to athletic excellence across multiple disciplines.

Partner James Newbury expressed satisfaction with their progress, stating: “Race recap: made significant progress since our last competition, dropping from 55:49 to 54:11! Looking forward to an intense training block ahead to increase current speed, refine technique and push past current limits.”

They were only beated by the formidable pair Joanna Wietrzyk, Hunter Mcintyre.

Performance Analysis: Where They Found Speed

The duo’s improved performance can be attributed to several key areas:

Rowing Improvements

Their rowing speed increased significantly, completing the 1,000-meter distance in just 3:50 compared to their previous 4:04 in Melbourne—nearly 15 seconds faster.

SkiErg Efficiency

On the SkiErg portion, they shaved almost 20 seconds off their Melbourne time, finishing the 1,000-meter distance in 3:36 rather than 3:54.

Transition Excellence

Their most dramatic improvement came in the Roxzone—the transition area between running segments and workout stations. They navigated this crucial area in 4:08, a remarkable 1:06 faster than their Melbourne time of 5:14, suggesting significantly enhanced efficiency in their transitions.

Running Consistency

While their overall running time remained consistent at 29:51, they managed to complete Run 8 twenty seconds faster than in their previous competition, showing strategic improvements in their race management.

Elite Competition and CrossFit Representation

Despite their impressive performance, Toomey-Orr and Newbury were edged out by the team of three-time Hyrox world champion Hunter McIntyre and Joanna Wietrzyk, who finished with a commanding time of 51:20. Nevertheless, Toomey-Orr and Newbury’s performance places them among the top 20 fastest Mixed Doubles teams in Hyrox history—a testament to their exceptional fitness level.

The event featured strong representation from the CrossFit community. Other notable CrossFit athletes competing included:

• Ricky Garard, who placed 6th in the Pro division with a time of 1:00:42
• The team of Jay Crouch and Maddie Sturt, who secured 10th place in Mixed Doubles with a time of 57:00

Championship Qualification and Future Prospects

Their outstanding performance has qualified Toomey-Orr and Newbury for the 2025 Hyrox World Championships, scheduled for June in Chicago. With their demonstrated ability to significantly improve between competitions, their training block ahead will likely focus on further enhancing their speed, technique refinement, and pushing beyond their current limitations.

As elite CrossFit athletes continuing to excel in the growing sport of Hyrox, Toomey-Orr and Newbury are establishing themselves as formidable competitors capable of challenging for world championship honors.