2026 CrossFit Open Week 3 Recap

The final workout of the 2026 CrossFit Open, presented by Air National Guard, was released on the competition floor of Gymreapers Wodalapooza Miami Beach followed by an electric Games athlete matchup between Danielle Brandon, Olivia Kerstetter, and Arielle Loewen. 

After the live announcement, competitors at Wodapalooza completed Open Workout 26.3, presented by Rogue, in the first event of the competition alongside the spectators who also had the opportunity to complete 26.3 while on-site. 

The excitement was high, but as storm clouds rolled in, athletes and spectators were forced to take shelter and abandon their workouts. So, affiliates across the city of Miami opened their doors to the CrossFit community to complete 26.3 and submit their scores before the Monday night deadline. 

This week brought CrossFit athletes from around the world to finish the Open together. 

Take a look at a recap of the final week of the Open, including Open Workout 26.3 winners, a workout analysis by Beyond the Whiteboard, and a look at the next stage of the season, the 2026 Quarterfinals, presented by Velites.

The Workout

Open Workout 26.3

For time:

2 rounds of:

12 burpees over the bar

12 cleans, weight 1

12 burpees over the bar

12 thrusters, weight 1

2 rounds of:

12 burpees over the bar

12 cleans, weight 2

12 burpees over the bar

12 thrusters, weight 2

2 rounds of:

12 burpees over the bar

12 cleans, weight 3

12 burpees over the bar

12 thrusters, weight 3

Time cap: 16 minutes

Open Workout 26.3 Winners

Women’s Division: Afroditi Grigoriadi

Afroditi Gridoriadi set the world record for Open Workout 26.3, finishing in an incredible time of 13:26. She sits in 21st overall on the women’s leaderboard (unofficially). 

Men’s Division: Colten Mertens

Colten Mertens secured his first workout win of the 2026 Open, crushing the men’s field by almost a minute with a score of 13:46. He is currently in first place overall on the men’s leaderboard (unofficially). 

Open Workout 26.3 Analysis by BTWB

The third and final workout of the 2026 CrossFit Open, presented by Air National Guard, featured burpees over the bar, cleans, and thrusters. The reps stayed the same throughout the workout, but the weight on the barbell increased every 2 rounds. The 16-minute time cap was very tight this week with only a few dozen athletes worldwide finishing the Rx’d version.

We’ve seen this ascending weight pattern for thrusters before in Open Workout 25.2 (a repeat of Open Workout 22.3) but that workout had fewer total thrusters with 21 reps at weight 1, 18 reps at weight 2, and 15 reps at weight 3.

Up Next: Quarterfinals

The next stage of the 2026 CrossFit Games season is the Quarterfinals, presented by Velites. The top 25% of individual and age-group athletes from the Open will advance. Take a look at the cutlines on the Quarterfinals Overview page. Note: the Open leaderboard is still unofficial, so athlete placements may shift. 

Qualifying athletes will receive their invitations and the workouts on Monday, March 23. They will have until Sunday, March 30, at 12 p.m. PT to accept their invitation, complete the workouts, and submit their scores at Games.CrossFit.com.