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Patrick Vellner talks 2021 CrossFit Games and Mat Fraser’s retirement – ‘Every guy feels they have a shot now’
- The 30-year-old Canadian, who has found his way on to the CrossFit Games podium three times, now looks the favourite
- Vellner says his goal is to peak at the Games and not get too excited about a now wide open men’s division for 2021
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Often pegged as one of the athletes who could have potentially unseated five-time CrossFit champion Mat Fraser, Canadian Patrick Vellner now finds himself in a completely different universe heading into the 2021 CrossFit season, which begins on March 11 and ends with the Games in July.
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Fraser has retired from the sport after an eight-year run and now Vellner, who has come second once and third twice behind Fraser during his five straight championship reign that ended last year, looks to reframe his outlook and expectations entirely.
“In the last couple years, it was honestly hard to say, ‘I think I can beat Mat’,” said the 30-year-old, a part-time chiropractor who lives on Vancouver Island. “He was pretty f------ good, there is no denying it.”
Now a dogfight will unfold between a handful of men, Vellner being one of them, all of whom have done what none could really do against Fraser.
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“All of the remaining competitors, we’ve all beaten each other at one point or another, so you can look down the line and say, ‘I’ve had that guy’s number, I’ve beat him before, I’ll beat him again.’ So there’s a little bit more of an honest conversation about winning now. Every guy feels like they have a shot now.”
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