CrossFit, Inc. today announced four additional sanctioned competitions to qualify athletes to the 2019 or 2020 CrossFit Games: the UK's Strength in Depth, the CrossFit Italian Showdown, the CrossFit Lowlands Throwdown and the SouthFit CrossFit Challenge.
These four newly sanctioned events expand the opportunities available to CrossFit competitors around the globe. Each newly sanctioned competition emerged from the CrossFit affiliate community. "Each one exists to serve its community, not to make a quick buck," said CrossFit founder Greg Glassman. "This is perfectly consistent with our vision for CrossFit competitions."
CrossFit Strength in Depth
"For us, fitness is not a lonely pursuit. It is an inherently social and community-based endeavor," said Ollie Mansbridge, owner of CrossFit Bath and director of the CrossFit Strength in Depth competition. Strength in Depth will take place in London in February 2019, qualifying the top male, female, and team competitors to the 2019 CrossFit Games. "We believe that the strength of this community lies in its depth: the diverse nature of the people within your club, affiliate or gym," said Mansbridge.
The CrossFit Italian Showdown
CrossFit affiliate owner and coach Carlo Strati first created the Italian Showdown "to keep our community strong and united." As the owner of CrossFit Varese in Italy, Strati said, "it's a privilege and honor that inspires us to do our best to make the CrossFit Italian Showdown the competition for the whole community." The CrossFit Italian Showdown will begin with a live qualification event on April 26, 2019, in Milan, narrowing the field through three days of competition to qualify one male and one female competitor to the CrossFit Games. There is no team competition at the Italian Showdown.
Sanctioned by CrossFit, Inc.🇬🇧 The biggest event in Europe sanctioned by CrossFit, Inc. featuring 1.500 Competitors on site in a unique OPEN category with LIVE qualifications in Milan MXP, 26-27-28 April 2019. 🇮🇹 Il più grande evento in Europa riconosciuto da CrossFit, Inc. con protagonisti 1.500 Concorrenti sul posto in un'unica categoria OPEN con qualificazioni DAL VIVO a Milano MXP, 26-27-28 Aprile 2019.
Posted by CrossFit Italian Showdown on Sunday, October 7, 2018
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The CrossFit Lowlands Throwdown
Originating in 2010 as a local competition for the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, the Lowlands Throwdown has grown into the premier, annual fitness competition in the Netherlands, now attracting athletes from all over Europe. As co-founder Jos Hermans said, “Our aim is to make sure that the CrossFit community, as well as the individual athletes, have an amazing experience and celebrate their victories with those around them. The competition is open to everyone and consists of a unique one-day online qualifier and a three-day final event in the Netherlands." The final live event will take place in May 2019 and qualify its top male, female and team competitors to the 2019 CrossFit Games.
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The SouthFit CrossFit Challenge
The SouthFit CrossFit Challenge developed within the Latin America affiliate community in 2013 as a result of local support for the Latin America Regional. In that spirit of community, SouthFit provides categories of competition for all levels of athletes. Martin Casas, owner of CrossFit Tuluka and organizer of the SouthFit Challenge, says the event has been "very inclusive on the categories from the beginning because we wanted to give our community an opportunity to compete." The SouthFit CrossFit Challenge will take place in Buenos Aires Nov. 30 – Dec. 2, 2019, and is the first sanctioned event announced for the 2020 CrossFit Games season.
In addition to the newly sanctioned events, CrossFit, Inc. announced details on the competition seeding at the 2019 Reebok CrossFit Games in Madison, Wisconsin. The 2019 Games will open with elimination events to qualify 10 competitors for the finals later in the week. Overall competitor seeding at the Games will be determined by athletes' scores in the 2019 worldwide CrossFit Games Open. Athletes who do not participate in the Open (and thus do not receive an Open score) will receive the lowest seeding and will compete in the first qualifying heats at the 2019 Games. Higher-seeded athletes will compete in later heats.
Any athlete who qualifies for the Games as a national champion or with a top-20 placement in the 2019 Open can improve their seeding and possibly qualify for a bye out of the first qualifying elimination round by winning a sanctioned event, regardless of whether that sanctioned event occurs before or after the Open in the 2019 competitive season.
CrossFit will continue to announce additional sanctioned events in the coming weeks. All changes to the CrossFit Games season will be published in the official CrossFit Games Rulebook prior to the 2019 Open.
Cover photo courtesy of the CrossFit Lowlands Throwdown and Barbell Photography.