It's heartbreak for Muir but this is just the beginning for Scotland's CrossFit star

JENNIFER MUIR’S dream of a CrossFit Games Finals appearance shall have to be put on hold after the Scot came up agonisingly short in France last Sunday.

Heading into day three of the semi-finals, the 24-year-old from Kirkintilloch was placed ninth, with the top ten qualifying for the Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, in August.

Having snatched fifth in Friday’s first event, Muir was in contention after day two despite a 25th-placed finish in event two before a top-four spot saw her end Saturday just inside the Finals qualification spots.

However, with three events on Sunday, Muir saw her chances slip away after struggling in event four to 27th before clawing back points with a 20th place in event five.

Knowing she needed a big performance in the final event, Muir gave her all to record 18th place but ultimately came up just short, finishing in 12th place overall.

‘Obviously I am gutted that I just missed out, but I feel it was the best I was going to get with the workouts that were given,’ she said.

‘The weekend probably went as well as it could have. Everything went better than when I tested the workouts in training.

‘When they were released (the workouts), I wasn’t confident that I would make it as I knew they would be difficult.

‘If I was given these workouts this time last year, I would have done a lot worse and been further down the pecking order. I am happy with the improvement and hungry for more.

‘Last year we had 11 spots to qualify and as Europe is so competitive, we thought that we would have 12/13 spots. So when the workouts were released, I thought I would have a chance to qualify. I could literally have picked your top 10 that were going from those workouts.’

The CrossFit season may be over for Muir but the work will not stop. With Lyon done and dusted, she opted to stay in France and visit Disneyland Paris before returning to the daily grind back at Blueprint Performance in her hometown.

However, even more work will need to be done away from the competition floor.

Now a two-time CrossFit Games semi-finalist, Muir knows that if she is to take her own game to the next level, she needs more time in competitions, which means more sponsors to help her fund her dream.

‘I have Proving grounds in Glasgow in October lined up, but nothing else is planned for at the minute as I can’t afford it,’ she admitted. ‘I will be working closely with my management team to try and secure sponsors and funds to be able to compete full-time.

‘I have potentially Wodapalooza as a team of three with Aimee Cringle and Ella Wilkinson under Built for Athlete.

‘Then I am going to go for the Rogue invitational qualifiers which is being held in Aberdeen this year when they are released in September.’

Missing out on a place at the Games came as a double blow for Muir as she not only narrowly misses out on the Texas experience, but will also lose her title of Fittest Woman in the UK, with that accolade passing to Cringle, who is the sole UK-based female athlete to finish inside the top ten.

But the Scot prefers not to dwell on what has been lost and is instead already looking to the future and next year’s Games.

‘I will get better at the sport and progress but, to be honest, the UK girls are so good that any of us could get it,’ said Muir.

‘Honestly, it is hit or miss who gets that crown with the workouts that come up, but what I would like to happen next year is that all the UK girls make it and we are all fighting for the title at the 2025 Games.’

After a seventh-placed finish on day one, the reigning Fittest Women in the World, Laura Horvath from Hungary, comfortably booked her place in the Finals.

The 27-year-old won two of the three events on Saturday — placing third in the other — and took victory in Sunday’s opener before finishing second in the fifth and then the final events.

In the men’s competition, the UK will have a sole representative in Harry Lightfoot. The 25-year-old could only place 28th at last year’s penultimate stage but managed to mix it with the best Europe has to offer this time around and book his ticket to Texas at the beginning of August.