All individuals competing in the Games tested clean. However, three teams did not.
To make it to the CrossFit Games, athletes and teams have to prove their fitness. As in years past, the competitors who are tested in the arena also get tested in the laboratory.
Each Regional weekend, Drug Free Sport tested the athletes who qualified for the Games, runners-up (in case a disqualification created an opening) and some randomly selected competitors. This year, CrossFit also added unannounced drug testing during the Open stage of competition, and will test Games athletes again in Carson, Calif.
The result:
All individuals competing in the Games tested clean. However, three teams did not.
CrossFit Wilmington (2nd place, 2012 Mid Atlantic Regional), CrossFit 808 (1st place, 2012 NorCal Regional), and CrossFit Spokane Valley (3rd place North West Regional) have been disqualified after testing positive for banned substances. Their medals and rankings will be shifted down, and invitations to the Games have been offered to the fourth ranked teams from their regions.
Due to HIPAA privacy rules, CrossFit will not release the specific substances. However, each case was carefully reviewed with a conclusion that the substance in question conferred an advantage in competition.
"It is unfortunate for the affected teams, but we hold the competition to the highest standards. The WADA governs drug testing in sports from the Olympics all the way down to the NCAA, and we have to handle these cases by the book," General Manager of the Games Justin Bergh says.
"Just because a product was purchased over the counter or even if it was prescribed by a doctor, that doesn't mean it's good to go," Bergh explains. "You can buy alcohol over the counter, but that doesn't mean it's OK to drink and drive."
All athletes agree to CrossFit’s Drug Testing Policy as a condition of competing in the CrossFit Games season. The CrossFit Games are compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agencies standards.