You won’t see Jack Farlow’s name on the CrossFit Open leaderboard this year. The 2023 CrossFit Games veteran announced that he will not be signing up for the CrossFit Open this year. He shared the news in an Instagram post yesterday stating that he is looking forward to other competitive opportunities in 2025.

The news comes just days after Farlow’s girlfriend, Emma Lawson, said that she would not be competing in the Open. Lawson, however, is sitting out due to a back injury whereas Farlow has indicated his decision is based on having to balance school commitments with his competition schedule.

Many may not know, but Farlow is not a full-time athlete. Farlow is enrolled at the University of Waterloo and is studying biomedical engineering. 

Because of this Farlow told The Barbell Spin that would be very difficult to balance school responsibilities and compete three times in May. Thus, he has decided to narrow his competitive focus this year.

“I’m picking and choosing what I compete in based on what excites me the most and what I think sets me up best for next year,” Farlow told The Barbell Spin.

That focus will be on the World Fitness Project. While Farlow is not one of the 20 signed male athletes, he is taking the path of the Challenger. Farlow has registered for the first WFP online qualifier (like me) with the goal of earning enough points this season to earn his Pro Card for 2026.

The WFP online qualifier runs March 19-25. The top 30 athletes from the online qualifier will be invited to compete at the WFP Tour Event 1 in Indianapolis, Indiana, on May 9-11.

There is also a possibility that Farlow competes again in HYROX. In October, Farlow and Lawson competed in the Mixed Doubles division at the Toronto HYROX. The couple finished in 2nd place in the 16-29 age group division and qualified for the 2025 HYROX World Championships in June.

But while Farlow won’t be competing in the CrossFit Open, thus eliminating the chance to qualify for the CrossFit Games (all Games qualifiers must finish in the top 1% of the Open to receive an invite regardless of qualification method), Farlow will still compete at the Mayhem Classic in April.

Farlow was one of the athletes who accepted an invite to compete at the Mayhem Classic, one of the In-Person Qualifying Events for the 2025 CrossFit Games. The top 2 men and women will receive an invite to compete at the CrossFit Games. If Farlow would take a top 2 spot at the Mayhem Classic, the invite would go to the athlete in 3rd place.

Farlow has registered for the CrossFit Open every year since 2017, when he competed in the Teenage Boys 14-15 year-old division. Farlow has qualified for the CrossFit Games twice – once in the 16-17 teenage boys division in 2019 and then again as an elite individual in 2023.