World Fitness Project started its 2026 season with the London Pro, held from May 1 to 3 in London. It was not just another weekend competition. It was the first stop of a new circuit that aims to organize the functional fitness season differently: with in-person events, points, rankings, and a world final.
In London, athletes who are already part of the international conversation competed, but in a format different from the Open, the Semifinals, or the Games. Among them were Roman Khrennikov, Aniol Ekai, Víctor García de Val, Jelle Hoste, Björgvin Karl Guðmundsson —known as BKG—, Elena Carratalá, Matilde Øyen Garnes, Noortje Bleeker, and Nicole Heer, all PICSIL athletes. There was also PICSIL presence in the team section, with Álvaro Gómez and Víctor Cárdenas.
The competition left an important first impression: Roman Khrennikov left London as the male leader of the ranking, Aniol Ekai placed fourth, and World Fitness Project showed that it can become an event worth following throughout the season.
What is World Fitness Project
World Fitness Project, also known as WFP, is an international league of competitive functional fitness. Its proposal is not based on a single isolated competition, but on a structured season with online qualifiers, in-person events, ranking, and world final.
The World Fitness Tour 2026 includes three in-person competitions: two Tour Stops and the World Fitness Finals. The Tour Stops include divisions Pro Men, Pro Women, Elite Teams, and Project 1. The final also incorporates categories Age Group.
The key is in the season system. An athlete does not compete just to win an event. They compete to earn points, stay at the top of the ranking, and arrive with options to the final. That changes the way to follow the competition.
A bad workout not only drops you positions that day. It can affect your overall ranking. A victory not only counts as a one-time result. It can give you a margin for the next stops. And a consistent athlete, capable of not sinking in their worst events, can end up ahead of more explosive but less consistent profiles.
London, first major stop of the World Fitness Tour 2026
The London Pro was the first Tour Stop of the 2026 season.
It was held at Drumsheds, London, from May 1 to 3, and opened the in-person calendar of the World Fitness Tour.
The interest of the event was not just in seeing who won. London served to start answering questions that any functional fitness fan asks when a new circuit appears:
- Who comes in strong from the start?
- Which athletes adapt better to the format?
- Who can consistently score points?
- Which names are worth following in the next stops?
In the men's category, the official leaderboard left Roman Khrennikov as the leader with 542 points. Behind were James Sprague, with 520 points, and Tudor Magda, with 514 points. Aniol Ekai finished fourth, with 492 points. That top 4 already gives a clear reading: Roman started setting the pace, but the ranking was not closed. Sprague, Magda, and Aniol left London close enough for the next stop to carry a lot of weight.
Why the format changes the reading of the competition
The World Fitness Project follows a different dynamic from what we are used to: it is a points circuit.
It's not enough to win a test if you then lose too many points in the next one. It's also not enough to be very good in a specific workout profile. The system rewards those who can remain competitive in various scenarios.
For the fan, this is interesting because it allows following more than just a final result.
You can see if an athlete arrives with rhythm. You can detect who adapts quickly. You can compare how well-known names perform outside the usual calendar. And you can follow how the ranking changes from one stop to another.
In London, that already started to be seen.
Roman came out as leader. Aniol made it into the top 5. Jelle Hoste, BKG, Víctor García de Val, and other well-known names had their first reference within the circuit. In women, profiles like Matilde Øyen Garnes, Noortje Bleeker, Elena Carratalá, and Nicole Heer also started to build their season within WFP.
PICSIL athletes who competed in World Fitness Project London Pro
In the men's category competed:
- Roman Khrennikov
- Aniol Ekai
- Víctor García de Val
- Jelle Hoste
- Björgvin Karl Guðmundsson, known as BKG
In the women's category competed:
- Elena Carratalá
- Matilde Øyen Garnes
- Noortje Bleeker
- Nicole Heer
And in teams, there was also PICSIL representation with:
- Álvaro Gómez
- Víctor Cárdenas
The important thing is not just the list of names.
The important thing is that all of them competed in an event that allows measuring different things than a traditional qualifying competition. In WFP it is not only about passing a cut. It is about sustaining performance, accumulating points, and leaving each stop with real options for the rest of the season.
Roman Khrennikov: leader after London
Roman Khrennikov left London as the male leader of the World Fitness Tour. He finished Tour Stop 1 with 542 points, ahead of James Sprague and Tudor Magda. This result matters for two reasons.
The first: Roman not only won a competition. He placed himself at the top in a circuit that does not end in London. The second: in a points league, starting as a leader conditions the rest of the season.
The The rest of the athletes no longer compete only against the event, they also compete against the advantage that Roman has built. That doesn't mean the ranking is decided.
The difference with Sprague, Magda, and Aniol is not definitive. But it does set the tone: Roman started strong and forces the rest to respond in the next stop.
Aniol Ekai: top 5 and an important signal for the Spanish audience
Aniol Ekai's performance was one of the most interesting takeaways from the London Pro for the Spanish audience. Aniol finished fourth on the men's leaderboard with 492 points. It is not a minor detail. In a competition with top international athletes, placing in the top 5 confirms that Aniol was not just “competing well”. He was within the group that can fight for important positions in the circuit.
Matilde, Noortje, Elena, and Nicole: a female category with much to follow
The female presence of PICSIL in London also left several names to follow during the season: Matilde Øyen Garnes, Noortje Bleeker, Elena Carratalá, and Nicole Heer.
Matilde Øyen Garnes arrived as one of the most solid European profiles of the event. Her participation in WFP helps gauge how an athlete with international experience responds within a circuit where a single good result is not enough.
Noortje Bleeker brings another interesting point: she is an athlete who often draws attention for her work capacity and how she performs in demanding tests. In a multi-event format, that type of profile can gain weight if she manages to remain consistent.
For Elena Carratalá, the London Pro was also an important opportunity to compete on an international stage with high-level athletes. This type of event is useful to see where the European level stands when directly measured against established names in the circuit.
Nicole Heer completes that PICSIL presence in the female category and adds another reference within a competition that is not decided by strength or endurance alone, but by the ability to respond well in different tests over several days.
More than just looking at the final position, The interest lies in seeing how each one leaves London looking towards the rest of the season: who manages to stay in the ranking, who improves at the next stop, and who arrives with real chances at the Finals.
What stories does the London Pro leave open
The London Pro did not close the conversation. It opened it.
The first story is Roman Khrennikov. He emerged as the leader and that changes the pressure for the next stop: he now competes not only to win but also to defend a lead.
The second is Aniol Ekai. Finishing fourth in London places him in a very interesting position. If he maintains that level, he can become one of the names to follow in the circuit, not just in Spanish terms.
The third is in athletes with international experience like BKG and Jelle Hoste. Both have enough competitive experience to make their evolution within WFP interesting beyond a single result.
The fourth is the Spanish presence. With Aniol Ekai, Víctor García de Val, Elena Carratalá and the representation in teams with Álvaro and Víctor, London left several points of interest for the Spanish public.
And the fifth is in the female category, where Matilde Øyen Garnes, Noortje Bleeker, Elena Carratalá, and Nicole Heer give reasons to follow how the ranking moves in the upcoming phases.
Because that is the difference between a competition that is only checked for results and a circuit that deserves to be followed: the stories do not end when the event concludes. London left an initial classification, but also left open questions. Now it's time to see who confirms, who reacts, and who manages to reach the Finals with real chances.
