CrossFit Games

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

The CrossFit Games is an athletic competition sponsored by Crossfit Inc.^[1] and Reebok.^[2] The competition has been held every summer since 2007. Athletes at the Games compete in workouts that they learn about hours or days beforehand, consisting 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] The CrossFit Games stylizes their individual winners as the "Fittest on Earth".^[5]

History

In 2007, the first annual 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]

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 moved 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][14][15]}

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.

Following seven years in Carson, the Games moved to the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin, in 2017.^[16] The next year, the qualifying Regionals were once again realigned due to increased competitiveness and popularity outside of Canada and the US.^[17] 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 has stated that the format for the 2019 games will be changed again with the replacement of the typical Regionals for CrossFit-sanctioned international qualifying events.^[18] 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 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.^[19]

Stages of qualification (2019)

As of the 2019 CrossFit Games, the season consisted of three stages of competition: the Open, sanctioned events, and the Games themselves. This format was changed for the 2019 season, in which the CrossFit, Inc. hosted Regionals were replaced by independently run CrossFit-sanctioned events.

Divisions

Controversies

Due to CrossFit's official partnership with Reebok, competitors at the 2015 Games were banned from wearing Nike footwear.^[27] 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".^[28] The partnership also prohibits Nike from labeling its Metcon shoes as intended for CrossFit – the brand uses the term "high intensity training" instead.^[27]

CrossFit's decision to award winners of the 2016 Games with handguns resulted in widespread criticism from members and sponsors.^[29] Resulting protests forced the temporary closure of two CrossFit locations in New York City.^[30]

Broadcasting

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.^[31] 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.^[32]

Champions by year and category

Individual and Team champions^[33]

Masters men's champions^[33]

Masters women's champions^[33]

Teens champions^[33]

See also

• National Pro Grid League

References

External links

• Official website
• Leaderboard of previous competitions