CrossFit Games

The CrossFit Games are an annual athletic competition owned and operated by CrossFit, Inc.[1] and currently sponsored by Reebok.[2] The competition has been held every summer since 2007. Athletes at the Games compete in workouts they learn about days, hours, or minutes beforehand. The workouts consist mostly of an assortment of standard aerobic, weightlifting, and gymnastics movements, as well as some additional surprise elements that are not part of the typical CrossFit regimen, such as obstacle courses, ocean swimming, softball throwing, or ascending a pegboard.[3][4] Winners of the CrossFit Games earn the cash prizes and the title of "Fittest on Earth."[5]

Camille Leblanc-Bazinet, 2014 Reebok CrossFit Games Champion, during the Thick 'n Quick event of the 2014 CrossFit Games

History

The 2008 CrossFit Games held at the ranch in Aromas, California

In 2007, the inaugural CrossFit Games were contested in Aromas, California, on a small ranch owned by the family of Games director Dave Castro.[6] For the initial Games in 2007 and 2008, participation was open to anyone who made it to Aromas. The Games would also award an Affiliate Cup to the group from one CrossFit gym that had the best combined individual standings. In 2009, competitors had to qualify after over a hundred athletes had shown up in 2008. The athletes earned an invitation through either placing high enough in the previous year or through placing in the top worldwide in a set of qualifying events called Regionals hosted at a few CrossFit gyms. The CrossFit Games also added a separate set of team-based events for the Affiliate Cup, marking the first use of a designated Team Division, with teams of four (two men and two women).[7]

Annie Thorisdottir at the 2011 Games held at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California

Interest and participation in the event continued to grow, and in 2010, the qualification was adjusted to include hosting multiple Sectionals, a series of events open to all athletes in order to qualify for the one of the 17 Regionals.[8] The 17 regions had Canada and the United States divided into 12 regions, with the remaining regions roughly corresponding the five other populated continents. The attendance at the Games also outgrew the ranch in Aromas and the Games venue was moved to the Home Depot Center (later called the StubHub Center) in Carson, California.[9] The Games also expanded the Team Division to groups of six athletes and added a Masters Division for individual men and women 55-years-old and up.

In 2011, the open participation Sectionals were replaced by an online qualification called the Open. In 2011, 26,000 athletes signed up to compete in the Open. In 2012–2018, participation was 69,000, 138,000, 209,000, 273,000, 324,307, 380,000, and 415,000 respectively.[10][11][12][13]

In 2015, the qualification format changed from 17 regional events to eight. Each "super-regional" event included qualifiers from two or three of the previously defined regions, totaling 40 or 50 athletes at each event.

Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin, venue for the 2017 Games

Following seven years in Carson, the Games moved to the grounds of the Dane County Expo Center and the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin, in 2017.[14] The next year, the qualifying Regionals were once again realigned due to increased competitiveness and popularity outside of Canada and the US.[15] In 2018, there were nine Regionals hosted among 18 redefined regions with Europe increasing to three regions, Central America split from South America, while eliminating the Northern and Southern California regions.

CrossFit, Inc. founder Greg Glassman overhauled the format for the 2019 games, replacing the Regionals with CrossFit-sanctioned international qualifying events.[16] As part of the changes, the 2019 games athletes qualify through being the top individual and team finishers from the sanctioned events, the top athlete from each country in the CrossFit Open, the top 20 overall finishers in the CrossFit Open, and up to four at-large athletes as chosen by CrossFit, Inc. Teams also no longer need to be created from one CrossFit-affiliated gym and can be formed from any four competitors.[17] With only two months between the 2019 Games and the start of the 2020 Open, participation in the first qualification event decreased from 358,646 in August 2019 to 239,106 in October 2019.[18]

The 2020 qualifying events proceeded as scheduled until March 2020 when the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic caused events to be cancelled amidst social distancing requirements and travel restrictions for international competitors. The Games format was then altered and 30 men and 30 women were invited to compete in an online-only first stage with the top five qualifying for the final stage. As spectators would not be allowed at any venues during the pandemic, the final stage was hosted at its original location at the CrossFit Ranch in Aromas. There were no teams, masters, or teens events.[19]

With the on-going effects of the pandemic, the 2021 qualification format was made more inclusive during the Open to allow for competitors who may not be able travel to qualifying events by allowing for an on-line quarterfinal, similar to those previously used for age group qualifiers to move on to sanctioned semifinals. However, the Games also removed the national champion open qualification to have a smaller field of invitees to the Games. The Games retained the sanctioned events to be used as semifinals, but reduced the number of events to ten with a final last-chance on-line qualifier consisting of semifinal athletes that missed Games qualification. The Games also returned the team format to be affiliate-based and added a new adaptive athlete division.[20]

Sponsorship and prize money

Participation and sponsorship have grown rapidly since the inception of the Games. The prize money awarded to each first-place male and female increased from $500 at the inaugural Games to $300,000 for 2019.[21] The largest jump in prize money came from the first Games sponsored by Reebok in 2011 when first place went from $25,000 in 2010 to $250,000 in 2011.[22] The total prize payout in 2016 was $2,200,000, rising to 3 million in 2020.[23]

Qualification

In this first two CrossFit Games, no qualification for competitors was necessary; athlete who wanted to participate in the Games can register and turn up on the day to compete.[9] However, with an increasing number of participants, a qualification process, the Regionals, was initiated in 2009 to winnow down the number of athletes who can take part in the Games. This was further expanded into a two-stage process in 2010 with the introduction of Sectionals where competitors were first selected to compete in the Regionals.[24] The Sectionals became the Open the following year, and between 2011 and 2018, all athletes must go through the same two-stage qualification process, the Open and Regionals, apart from a few who received special invites in some years. In the 2019 CrossFit Games, the qualification process was modified, and competitors had three separate ways to qualify: the Open, sanctioned events, and by invitation.[21] In 2021, the Open once again reverted to its role as the first stage of competition that feeds the subsequent rounds in a three-stage continent-based qualification system.[25]

The Open

The Open was introduced in 2011 and so-called because participation is open to anyone,[26] is held over three weeks in March.[20] Competitors complete the workout and submit their scores online by Monday evening, with either a video or validation by a CrossFit affiliate.

From 2011 to 2019, the Open was held over five weeks in February and March with a new workout released each Thursday night (Pacific Time). For the 2020 season, the Open moved forward to October 2019 as part of the overhaul for Games qualifications so that it took place before any of the sanctioned events.[27]

From 2013 to 2018, Open workout announcements were broadcast live, and featured two or more past CrossFit Games athletes competing head-to-head immediately following the workout description. During the 2019 restructuring, CrossFit dissolved its own media crew leading to other companies, such as Rogue Fitness, having its own broadcasts of competitive athletes completing the workouts when they are announced.

In 2019, the top athlete from each country and the top 20 overall Open finishers qualified directly to the Games. This was also planned for 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions led to qualification reset with 30 men and 30 women directly invited to an online competition as the first stage of the Games itself.[19]

For the 2021 Games, participants are separated on a continental basis, and the top 10% on each continent qualify for another online quarterfinal in order to move on to the sanctioned semifinals.[20][28] The Open is also used for seeding purposes at the Games even if an athlete qualified through the sanctioned events; if an athlete qualifies through a sanctioned event but does not do the Open, they will be seeded at the bottom.

Regionals and Sanctioned events

Team event at the SoCal Regional in 2014

Between 2009 and 2018, competitors qualified for the Games through participation at CrossFit Games regional events around the world. The top men and women from the Sectional in 2010, and the Open from 2011 to 2018, participated in the Regionals to qualify for the Games.[29] The number of Regionals changed in the first few years, but eventually the world was split into 18 regions feeding into 9 Regional competitions.[30][31] In 2011, the events in the Regionals were standardized.[29]

For the 2019 Games, CrossFit, Inc. discontinued hosting the Regional qualifier and instead sanctioned independent fitness events as qualifiers separate from the Open. These events were trademarked as "Sanctionals" by CrossFit, LLC.[32] Most of the sanctioned events were significant CrossFit competitions already widely participated in by CrossFit Games athletes around the world, such as Wodapalooza and Dubai CrossFit Championship.[33][34] Each sanctioned event has its own rules for participation, but athletes that attend the sanctioned events are either by invite or through the event's qualification process. If an athlete or team won multiple sanctioned events, the runners-up from the later events would qualify to the Games.[21] Twenty-eight sanctioned events were announced for the 2020 season,[35] but many of them were cancelled due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The qualification system was again revamped in 2021, and a Quarterfinal stage was added before the Semifinals.[36] A last-chance online qualifier, last used in 2009, was re-introduced for semifinal athletes who narrowly missed a Games qualification.[20]

Invitation

From the 2009 to the 2011 CrossFit Games, special invites were given to the top 5 men and women from the preceding Games as well as the individual Champions of all previous games. The special invites for previous Champions were removed in 2012, although CrossFit reserved the right to extend an invitation at any stage of the Games to any athlete, a right it only exercised for two athletes in 2013.[37] In 2019, the CrossFit Games may choose to invite up to four athletes who did not qualify for the games in the Open or sanctioned events as an at-large bid.[21]

Divisions

Individual

Rich Froning, four times winner of the Games, in event at the 2012 CrossFit Games that included an ocean swim, bike ride and distance mountain running

The marquee events at the CrossFit Games are the men's and women's individual competitions. The first place prize for each currently stands at $300,000 as of 2020.

Team

Originally, teams were awarded the "Affiliate Cup" for having the best overall score from the individual athletes that had come from the same CrossFit-affiliated gym. In 2009, the Games began having a separate set of events for affiliate teams and consisted of four to six athletes from the same gym.[38] The next season, the format was finalized to teams of three men and three women. In the 2018 games, each team was changed to four members, two men and two women.[15] In 2019, CrossFit removed the stipulation that team members had to be from the same affiliate. Teams are subject to a similar qualification process as the individuals.[21]

In 2021, the Games returned to affiliate-only teams and the Affiliate Cup.[20]

Masters and Teens

The Games include age-based divisions for younger and older competitors. Masters divisions were introduced at the 2010 Games. There are currently six divisions each for women and men: 35–39, 40–44, 45–49, 50–54, 55–59, and 60+. Divisions for teenagers were introduced in 2015: the age ranges are 14–15 and 16–17, for both boys and girls.

Rather than regional events, masters and teen athletes qualify for the games by a second online competition following the Open. The top 200 athletes in each division worldwide are invited to compete in this qualifier, of which the top 10 advance to the Games.[39]

Prior to the introduction of these secondary online qualifiers, masters and teens competitors qualified for the Games directly from the Open.

Adaptive

The adaptive division was proposed for the 2021 CrossFit Games for competitors with physical impairment.[40] There would be 16 adaptive divisions (8 each for men and women) with no separation by age, but all competitors must be at least 14 years of age.[41]

Controversies

Due to CrossFit's official partnership with Reebok, competitors at the 2015 Games were banned from wearing Nike footwear.[42] Nike arranged for several trucks to be parked near the main entrance to the arena, which served as mobile billboards with the slogan "Don't ban our shoe, beat our shoe".[43] The partnership also prohibits Nike from labeling its Metcon shoes as intended for CrossFit – the brand uses the term "high intensity training" instead.[42]

CrossFit's decision to award winners of the 2016 Games with handguns resulted in widespread criticism from members and sponsors.[44] Resulting protests forced the temporary closure of two CrossFit locations in New York City.[45]

On June 6, 2020, CrossFit founder and CEO Greg Glassman was publicly criticized for his social media statements about the COVID-19 pandemic and the George Floyd protests resulting in many CrossFit-affiliated gyms around the world responded by ending their affiliation, Reebok announcing that they would end their corporate association after the 2020 Games, and several competitors boycotting the Games until he was removed from the company.[46] On June 9, Glassman resigned as CEO[47] and sold the company by the end of the month,[48] leading to the boycotting athletes returning.

Broadcasting and media

In 2011, ESPN began to broadcast the CrossFit Games, with live coverage streamed through ESPN3, and some television coverage on ESPN2. As the event grew, ESPN expanded its television coverage; in 2014, the network entered into a multi-year deal to continue broadcasting the CrossFit Games, and coverage expanded to nine-and-a-half hours on ESPN and ESPN2 by 2015.[49]

In 2017, the event began a new broadcast arrangement with CBS Sports, with television coverage on CBS Sports Network, and a total of 40 hours of digital streaming coverage. CrossFit also streamed coverage through Facebook and their website.[50]

Champions by year and category

Mat Fraser, athlete with the most CrossFit wins

Individual and Team champions[51]

Year	Individual Men	Individual Women	Team
2007	James Fitzgerald	Jolie Gentry	CrossFit Santa Cruz
2008	Jason Khalipa	Caity Matter	CrossFit Oakland
2009	Mikko Salo	Tanya Wagner	Northwest CrossFit
2010	Graham Holmberg	Kristan Clever	CrossFit Fort Vancouver
2011	Rich Froning Jr.	Annie Thorisdottir	CrossFit New England
2012	Rich Froning Jr.	Annie Thorisdottir	Hack's Pack UTE
2013	Rich Froning Jr.	Samantha Briggs	Hack's Pack UTE
2014	Rich Froning Jr.	Camille Leblanc-Bazinet	CrossFit Invictus
2015	Ben Smith	Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir	CrossFit Mayhem Freedom
2016	Mathew Fraser	Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir	CrossFit Mayhem Freedom
2017	Mathew Fraser	Tia-Clair Toomey	Wasatch CrossFit
2018	Mathew Fraser	Tia-Clair Toomey	CrossFit Mayhem Freedom
2019	Mathew Fraser	Tia-Clair Toomey	CrossFit Mayhem Freedom
2020	Mathew Fraser	Tia-Clair Toomey	No team events held

Masters men's champions[51]

Year	35–39	40–44	45–49	50–54	55–59	60+
2010	—			Brian Curley
2011	—		Scott DeTore	Gord MacKinnon	Steve Anderson	Greg Walker
2012	—		Gene LaMonica	Gord MacKinnon	Tim Anderson	Scott Olson
2013	—	Michael Moseley	Ron Ortiz	Craig Howard	Hilmar Hardarson	Scott Olson
2014	—	Shawn Ramirez	Jerry Hill	Will Powell	Steve Hamming	Scott Olson
2015	—	Shawn Ramirez	Matthew Swift	Joe Ames	Will Powell	Steve Pollini
2016	—	Shawn Ramirez	Ron Mathews	Ron Ortiz	Will Powell	David Hippensteel
2017	Kyle Kasperbauer	Shawn Ramirez	Robert Davis	Kevin Koester	Shannon Aiken	David Hippensteel
2018	Kyle Kasperbauer	Neal Maddox	Robert Davis	Cliff Musgrave	Brig Edwards	David Hippensteel
2019	Nick Urankar	Jason Grubb	Joel Hughes	Kevin Koester	Joe Ames	Gord MacKinnon[lower-alpha 1]
2020	No Masters events due to COVID-19 pandemic

Masters women's champions[51]

Year	35–39	40–44	45–49	50–54	55–59	60+
2010	—			Laurie Carver
2011	—		Susan Habbe	Mary Beth Litsheim	Shelley Noyce	Betsy Finley
2012	—		Lisa Mikkelsen	Susan Habbe	Marnel King	Mary Schwing
2013	—	Amanda Allen	Lisa Mikkelsen	Colleen Fahey	Gabriele Schlicht	Sharon Lapkoff
2014	—	Amanda Allen	Kim Holway	Mary Beth Litsheim	Susan Clarke	Karen Wattier
2015	—	Janet Black	Kylie Massi	Cindy Kelley	Susan Clarke	Rosalie Glenn
2016	—	Helen Harding	Cheryl Brost	Shellie Edington	Mary Beth Prodromides (née Litsheim)	Shaun Havard
2017	Stephanie Roy	Helen Harding	Cheryl Brost	Marion Valkenburg[lower-alpha 2]	Susan Clarke	Patty Failla
2018	Anna Tobias	Stephanie Roy	Amanda Allen	Eva Thornton	Mary Beth Prodromides	Shaun Havard
2019	Anna Tobias	Joey Kimdon	Janet Black	Jana Slyder	Laurie Meschishnick	Susan Clarke
2020	No Masters events due to COVID-19 pandemic

Teens champions[51]

Year	14–15 Boys	14–15 Girls	16–17 Boys	16–17 Girls
2015	Angelo Dicicco	Sydney Sullivan	Nicholas Paladino	Isabella Vallejo
2016	Vincent Ramirez	Kaela Stephano	Nicholas Paladino	Allison Weiss
2017	Dallin Pepper	Chloe Smith	Angelo Dicicco	Kaela Stephano
2018	Tudor Magda	Olivia Sulek	Dallin Pepper	Haley Adams
2019	David Bradley	Emma Cary	Dallin Pepper	Chloe Smith
2020	No Teens events due to COVID-19 pandemic

1. Paul Perna originally finished first but was later disqualified for testing positive for banned performance-enhancing substances.[52]
2. Josée Sarda originally finished first but was later disqualified for testing positive for banned performance-enhancing substances.[53]

See also

• National Pro Grid League

References

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40. Zirkenbach, Alec (November 20, 2020). "The CrossFit Open Adaptive Division: What We Know Now". Morning Chalk Up.
41. Clark, Patrick (January 8, 2021). "The 2021 CrossFit Games Adaptive Division: What You Need to Know". Morning Chalk Up.
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43. Brendan Dunne (July 28, 2015). "Nike Isn't Done Bullying Reebok Over CrossFit". Sole Collector.
44. Joseph Serna (July 15, 2016). "CrossFit Games come under fire for awarding Glocks as prizes". Los Angeles Times.
45. JamesMichael Nichols (July 25, 2016). "Anti-Gun LGBT Group Shuts Down Two CrossFit Locations Over Gun Giveaway". Huffington Post.
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53. Pyfferoen, Brian (October 4, 2017). "Two CrossFit Games Masters Athletes Also Failed Drug Tests". The Barbell Spin.

External links

• Official website
• Leaderboard of previous competitions