With major sports events around the world struggling to navigate the global coronavirus pandemic, CrossFit HQ has made official their plans for the 2020 games.
CrossFit fans around the world were concerned about the fate of the 2020 CrossFit Games after many regional- and state-level CrossFit competitions were cancelled due to the coronavirus. Nearly half of all Sanctional events — events which determine whether or not you’re qualified to compete in the Games — were cancelled because of the virus, so it became increasingly unclear as time went on who was even eligible to compete this year. However, CrossFit fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief: CrossFit HQ has announced today that the 2020 CrossFit Games will still be held on the original date, although they are banning spectators because of social distancing regulations. The announcement also includes their decision to move the venue from Madison, Wisconsin, to Aromas, California.
CrossFit issued the following statement to ticket holders who had already spent money on tickets or packages for the event:
“The Games will not be a public event. Due to sweeping decisions to ban large festivals and sporting events for the foreseeable future, we are suspending the on-site spectator experience for this year. For fans who have purchased tickets, camping, or hospitality packages, Ticketmaster, who holds these payments until after any physical event, will be issuing full refunds. CrossFit will be issuing full refunds to exhibitors.”
The good news is, all the CrossFit athletes you know and love, and who have been training extremely hard to get to this level, will still get an opportunity to compete and test their strength against one another. Unfortunately, like so many other things during this period of uncertainty, the 2020 CrossFit Games will look very different than the others. A livestream of the event is expected to be made available to fans.
Another highlight of the statement is their announcement that they’re “evaluating options for virtual competition.” CrossFit has never allowed virtual competitors before and it raises questions about the records being set by athletes. World records are challenged and broken at every CrossFit Games, but this is usually done in front of massive crowds and a panel of experts to ensure accuracy. If people are live-streaming from home gyms while they work out, proving the legitimacy of these claims definitely gets more complicated. CrossFit will likely have to hire more refs and moderators for the games this year as they become more spread out and localized to people in their home.
It’s not the best case scenario, but it isn’t the worst, either. Luckily, CrossFit fans will still be able to have their games and CrossFit athletes will still get a chance to compete. Hopefully, the event will be a success, paving the road for happier CrossFit Games to come!
*All images and media courtesy of Instagram.
