Advertisement
Opinion | Should Taiwan and Hong Kong have their own CrossFit champions instead of competing for China?
- Former CEO and founder Greg Glassman ushered in sweeping overhaul to CrossFit Games in 2019, introducing ‘country champions’
- Although recognised separately by the International Olympic Committee, Hong Kong and Taiwan athletes compete for China in CrossFit
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
The story of how CrossFit’s “country champions” came about is one of the sport’s massive metamorphosis, which took place in 2020, and the lasting impact it had on its athletes.
Advertisement
In Autumn 2018, then-CEO and founder Greg Glassman announced a host of changes to the sport and its marquee event, the CrossFit Games. Regionals – a staple of the competitive calendar – were gone, and a number of “Sanctionals” would take their place.
“Country champions” would also be crowned, which meant that if you could win the CrossFit Open (a five-week online competition which serves as the first qualifying event of the season) then you could go to the 2019 CrossFit Games and compete against the best of the best for your nation.
The move was a disaster. The 2019 CrossFit Games had 141 male and 129 female competitors, while a number of high-profile athletes from CrossFit strongholds such as the US, Canada and Australia had to stay home. Then came the cuts, as the vast majority of athletes – who had no business being at the Games in the first place – were axed after one or two events and relegated to the stands for the rest of the competition.
Glassman, who was ousted in 2020 in a flurry of racism and sexism allegations, seemed to have good intentions with the changes, but it clearly irked CrossFit Games mastermind Dave Castro. Glassman said the idea was to move away from the Games as the linchpin of CrossFit and focus more on promoting a healthy lifestyle, while working to expand the sport internationally.
Advertisement
Advertisement