Every year after the CrossFit Games, the Morning Chalk Up takes a look at who picked up the most Instagram followers during the competition.

Usually, it’s a lighthearted look at the biggest stars and fan favorites from the Games.

This year, however, in light of Lazar Đukić’s tragic death during the swim portion of Event 1, it feels a bit trivial to even bother talking about Instagram followers.

Then again, the entire community is hurting, and we all want to know how the athletes are feeling, grieving, and healing. 

In this sense, Instagram provides a platform for athletes to express themselves and gives us some insights into what happened in Fort Worth. 

Perhaps most importantly, it’s a platform on which they can and are now demanding change. In light of this, let’s take a look at the numbers.

What the Numbers Say

The athlete who picked up the most followers between July 29 and August 8 was Lazar Đukić’s brother, Luka, with 63,059 (a 411-percent increase). Luka withdrew from the competition immediately after Event 1 and took to social media to post a tribute to Lazar.

Lazar Đukić’s account picked up 47,732 followers (a 143-percent increase) and quickly became a place for fans and fellow athletes to post tributes in the comment sections of his most recent posts.

Here is a list of the top 10 after those accounts:

Gui Malheiros: 24,408

James Sprague: 23, 805

Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr: 13,688

Dani Speegle: 11,896

Danielle Brandon: 10,067

Haley Adams: 8,821

Jeff Adler: 8,816

Arielle Loewen: 8,364

Laura Horvath: 7,960

Brent Fikowski: 7,144

One big thing: Five of those 10 athletes withdrew from the competition at some point during the course of the weekend because of Lazar Đukić’s death: Gui Malheiros, Dani Speegle, Jeff Adler, Arielle Loewen, and Laura Horvath.

How Do These Numbers Compare to Other Years?

The numbers are actually quite consistent with last year, when Roman Khrennikov picked up the most new followers with 61,004. Horvath logged the second most at 41,920, and Adler scooped up 35,114 new followers.

In 2022, the overall numbers at the top were considerably lower: Dani Speegle picked up the most new followers (37,805), while Mal O’Brien picked up the second most (34,713), and Toomey-Orr got the third most (31,385).

Worth noting: Regardless of how well they do in the competition or whether or not they even finish it, three athletes always do well on Instagram during the Games: Malheiros, Speegle, and Brandon.

In 2021, Brandon gained the most followers during the Games with 77,702 new ones. Malheiros was third with 68,068, and Speegle was 10th with 9,748.

In 2022, as we pointed out, Speegle gained the most followers, while Malheiros picked up 20,896 and Brandon 24,209.

Last year, Brandon picked up the fourth-most followers with 20,735. Neither Speegle nor Malheiros qualified for the Games last year.

The Big Picture

Social media prowess might seem trivial in some ways, especially considering all that has transpired. But we’ve seen that social media can also be a vehicle for positive change. For change to occur, visibility is required, and that can’t be done without followers.

Featured image: Carlos Fleury, @carlitosfleury / Instagram 

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