26.2 Preview: What Week Two Likely Holds and What Cascais Means

26.2 releases Thursday, March 5. You have until Monday, March 9 at 5pm PT to submit your score. Here's what you need to know.

What 26.2 Is Likely to Look Like

CrossFit doesn't telegraph workouts, but Open design follows patterns well enough that previewing week two is more signal than noise.

Historical Week 2 Patterns

Looking at the past six years of Open week-two workouts:

2025 (25.2): Increasing load ground-to-overhead (clean and jerk), with pull-ups in a couplet format. Clear gymnastics-barbell combination.

2024 (24.2): Descending ladder of thrusters and chest-to-bar pull-ups. Barbell-gymnastics couplet, 15-minute cap.

2023 (23.2): Lunges + toes-to-bar + double-unders. Three-movement chipper with a time cap.

2022 (22.2): Burpee box jump-overs + dumbbell snatches. Pure conditioning format.

2021 (21.2): Dumbbell squat snatches + bar-facing burpees. Dumbbell with bodyweight.

2020 (20.2): For time — toes-to-bar, double-unders, squat cleans, push-ups, box jumps. Multi-movement chipper.

Pattern: Week 2 frequently introduces a barbell or dumbbell movement combined with a gymnastics movement in either a couplet or short chipper format. The time domain typically sits in the 8-15 minute range. Week 2 tends to be physically harder than week 1 but not necessarily more technically demanding.

Likely 26.2 Movement Categories

High probability: - Toes-to-bar or chest-to-bar pull-ups (gymnastics pulling) - Barbell clean and jerk, thruster, or dumbbell snatch - 10-15 minute time cap

Medium probability: - Double-unders (appear frequently in weeks 2-3) - Handstand push-ups (strict or kipping — would create significant scoring differentiation) - Box jump-overs (following on the 26.1 lower body work would be unusual)

Low probability: - Ring muscle-ups (these tend to appear in week 3) - Running (week 2 very rarely features running) - Wall balls (following 26.1 would be unusual)

One Format Prediction

If this holds, a likely 26.2 structure:

AMRAP 12 — 10 Toes-to-Bar, 10 Dumbbell Hang Clean and Jerks (50/35 lb each hand), 20 Double-Unders

This format would test pulling gymnastics, shoulder-intensive barbell work, and aerobic capacity in a format that rewards athletes with broad, sustainable fitness rather than any single specialist skill.

Do not bet on this prediction. CrossFit often goes somewhere unexpected.

What You Should Practice Before Thursday

Whatever your gymnastics weakness is: Toes-to-bar, chest-to-bar, or HSPU. If you can't do them, review scaled standards. If you can do them but haven't lately, do a brief skill session Wednesday (light, not fatiguing).

Barbell position under fatigue: Clean and jerk or snatch positions at moderate load. A 20-minute barbell refresher Tuesday-Wednesday won't change your strength, but it will reinforce your movement positions.

Double-unders: If double-unders are in the workout and yours are unreliable, the 72-hour window is not enough time to fix them. Focus on pacing singles as a backup plan and work on your doubles in training after the Open ends.

The Cascais, Portugal Announcement

This is the bigger news from the week one broadcast.

CrossFit Inc. confirmed that the 2026 European Semifinals will be held in Cascais, Portugal. The event is scheduled for May 22-24, 2026.

Why Cascais

Cascais (pronounced "kash-KAISH") is a coastal municipality 30km west of Lisbon on the Atlantic coast. It's one of Portugal's most affluent communities, a popular tourist destination, and — crucially for CrossFit's purposes — has outdoor terrain that promises interesting event design.

Specifically: - Ocean access: The Atlantic coast provides open-water swimming and potential nautical event venues - Coastal terrain: Rocky coastlines, beach areas, and outdoor public spaces usable for running, carry events, and outdoor competition - Indoor venue: Cascais's municipal sports complex (Pavilhão de Cascais) seats approximately 3,500 and can be configured for CrossFit competition

CrossFit has used coastal venues before — events that incorporate ocean swimming tend to be among the most memorable in the sport. The Cascais setting promises a European Semifinals that looks different from arena-only competition formats.

What It Means for European Athletes

The European Semifinals historically attracts athletes from across Europe (UK, Germany, France, Scandinavia, Southern Europe, Eastern Europe) competing for Games qualification spots. The Cascais location may create some advantage for Southern European athletes with ocean swimming backgrounds, though the total number of swimming-specific events at any single Semifinals is limited.

For UK athletes specifically (particularly relevant given Cringle's 3rd and Campbell's 8th at the 2025 Games): Cascais is a 2.5-hour flight from London. The travel burden is manageable, and the venue's coastal terrain might suit athletes with running and outdoor sport backgrounds.

What It Means for Spectators

Cascais is a genuinely attractive location for a competition trip. The Lisbon airport is 40 minutes away. Hotels in Cascais range from budget options in the town center to premium coastal properties. May in Portugal is warm (19-24°C), with low rainfall probability.

If you're planning to attend a Semifinals event in 2026 and can get to Europe, the Cascais venue might be worth the trip beyond just the CrossFit competition itself.

Elite Athlete 26.1 Debrief: What They Said

Several top athletes shared post-26.1 reflections that provide useful signals for 26.2 preparation:

Bjarni Leifs (Men's Week 1 winner): "I jumped the box the whole way. Some people think stepping is always better, but I find the rhythm of jumping helps my wall ball timing. For 26.2, I expect barbell — I need to be ready there."

Mirjam von Rohr (Women's Week 1 winner): "The 66 wall balls are where everyone will try to stay connected. I just focused on the next 10 reps every time. I don't know 26.2 yet but I'm not worried about preparation — we train for this year-round."

Aimee Cringle (3rd women's 26.1): "I'm pleased with 10:28. I know I could be faster — I left a bit in the last 20 wall balls — but the pacing kept me fresh. 26.2 will be different. I'm confident in barbell work."

The Overall Open Race

After one workout, the overall Open rankings are determined entirely by 26.1 placement. Leifs (men) and von Rohr (women) lead. Three weeks of Open scoring in CrossFit typically sees the leader change as different movement domains appear — a week-one endurance specialist doesn't always win the overall.

Hopper at 2nd after week one is exactly where you'd expect him. His path to an overall Open win — in addition to his Games title — runs through the barbell-heavy workouts that are coming.

For Cringle at 3rd: maintaining top-5 results across three workouts would be an extraordinary Open showing that would strengthen her case as the women's field leader heading into Semifinals.

---

Related: [26.1 Workout Analysis](/articles/crossfit-open-2026-26-1-workout-analysis) | [Week 1 Recap](/articles/crossfit-open-2026-week-1-recap) | [2026 Open Prep Guide](/articles/crossfit-open-2026-prep-guide)