Campbell is ramping up for what could be a career-defining weekend.
Last updated on August 2nd, 2025
Laser-focused, almost possessed, is how Lucy Campbell appeared during “IE4: Albany Grip Trip” at the 2025 CrossFit Games. Not only did she win the event, but she edged out Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr and took the overall women’s lead on Saturday morning.
“IE4: Albany Grip Trip”
5 rounds for time of:
- 400-meter run
- 12 deadlifts
- 100-foot handstand walk
*150-foot handstand walk on final round
Women: 220 pounds
Men: 350 pounds
How it went down: Heading into Saturday, Toomey-Orr held the lead, but she was only six points ahead of both Campbell and Lydia Fish.
- Toomey-Orr took the early lead, a lead she kept through the first two rounds. But Campbell’s running speed was a little faster, allowing Campbell – a 2022 Games rookie who sat out the next two seasons due to a serious wrist injury that doctors thought would be career-ending – to finish the third run at the same time as Toomey-Orr.
The two women essentially performed synchronized handstand walks through round three, but Campbell then made up some ground on the run in the fourth round.
After that, Campbell took off. She completed her 50-foot handstand walks unbroken, while Toomey-Orr broke her second one into 25-foot segments.
She extended her lead on the final run, finishing almost 20 seconds ahead of Toomey-Orr, before hitting 12 unbroken deadlifts and immediately kicking up to a handstand. Campbell then completed her first 50-foot handstand walk just as Toomey-Orr was beginning hers.
Campbell cruised to an event win, while Toomey-Orr received a no-rep on her second 50-foot handstand walk.
This allowed Haley Adams to get across the finish line, giving Campbell the four points she needed to overtake Toomey-Orr on the overall leaderboard heading into Saturday’s second event.
On the men’s side: On the men’s side, Jay Crouch, who was in second heading into the day, came out hot and never looked back.
- Brazil’s Kaylan Souza, though, gave Crouch a run for his money, putting the pressure on him the entire event. Crouch was able to hold Souza off, but only just. Only four seconds separated the two at the finish line.
Last year’s champion, James Sprague, who entered the day in eighth, finished third in the event, helping him pick up some valuable points.
And Jayson Hopper, the leader going into the event, put up another consistent performance. He finished fourth and sits in second, just 12 points behind Crouch.
- Worth noting: Crouch has now finished in the top five in all four of the first events, the only man or woman who can say that.
In a post-event interview, he credited his support team:
- “I have the best team in the world around me, and that’s PRVN. I’m super grateful to have those guys around me…To prepare the right way, [like] winners do, and this is the result,” Crouch said.
The big picture: Heading into the weekend, Campbell, who has been on a tear this season, was on our radar as a podium contender, but nobody expected her to fight for the top spot. And while there are still six events remaining, she has done something we rarely see: take the leader’s jersey from Toomey-Orr.
The next event – a one-rep max back squat – looks like a wheelhouse event for Toomey-Orr, but if Campbell can keep it close, there’s a chance that, for the first time in a decade, someone might be able to challenge Toomey-Orr for the title.
As for the men’s leader, Crouch, he sounded pretty confident in his post-event interview that the programming this weekend is lining up very well for him.
- “I don’t want to toot my own horn, but back squats are very good for me. It’s the best case scenario. I feel like Dave [Castro] has maybe been on my Instagram looking at all my strengths because these workouts are stacking up pretty good,” he said.
2025 CrossFit Games Event 4 — Top 5 Men
| Place | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jay Crouch | 16:28.57 |
| 2 | Kalyan Souza | 16:32.62 |
| 3 | James Sprague | 17:01.62 |
| 4 | Jayson Hopper | 17:22.91 |
| 5 | Austin Hatfield | 17:27.08 |
2025 CrossFit Games Event 4 — Top 5 Women
| Place | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucy Campbell | 16:33.05 |
| 2 | Haley Adams | 17:01.34 |
| 3 | Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr | 17:37.63 |
| 4 | Olivia Kerstetter | 17:49.24 |
| 5 | Grace Walton | 18:00.39 |
Featured image: Scott Freymond
