13 Athletes Receive Major and Minor Penalties for 20.4 (Including Cedric Lapointe)

13 athletes have been penalised for their performances during 20.4 following the video review process by CrossFit Inc.

20.4 

For time. 

30 box jumps
15 clean and jerks, 65 | 95 lb.
30 box jumps
15 clean and jerks, 85 | 135 lb.
30 box jumps
10 clean and jerks, 115 | 185 lb.
30 single-leg squats
10 clean and jerks, 145 | 225 lb.
30 single-leg squats
5 clean and jerks, 175 | 275 lb.
30 single-leg squats
5 clean and jerks, 205 | 315 lb.

 20-in. box /  24-in. box

Time cap: 20 minutes

HQ stated the following. 

After review, the following athletes in the top 40 have received penalties and scoring adjustments for Open Workout 20.4:

♀ Tia-Clair Toomey –  Minor penalty for finishing 1 rep short on pistols in the final round (consecutive reps completed on the same leg)

♀ Alanna Fisk –  Minor penalty for no rep on pistol, lifted leg plants as the athlete is standing

♀ Brooke Haas – Minor penalty for lack of extension in the pistol 

♀ Taylor Williamson – Minor penalty for lack of extension on box jumps

♀ Emma Tall – Minor penalty for finishing 1 rep short on the second barbell due to judge’s miscount 

♂ Tyler Christophel – Minor penalty for only completing 29 pistols in the second round 

♂ Jean-Simon Roy-Lemaire – Minor penalty for no rep on the box jump due to athlete’s hand on thigh 

♂ Giorgos Karavis – Major penalty for consistent lack of depth in the pistol (right leg). 

♂ Scott Tetlow – Minor penalty for finishing 1 pistol short in one round 

♂ Jonne Koski – Minor penalty for no rep on pistols (heel touches the ground at the bottom of the pistol). 

♂ Cédric Lapointe – Major penalty for consistent lack of depth in the pistols (both legs). 

♂ Jacob Heppner – Minor penalty for finishing without completing three pistols. The athlete stopped and re-started on the same leg twice in set one and once in set three. 

♂ Piotr Szczycinski – Minor penalty for finishing without completing three pistols. The athlete stopped and re-started on the same leg multiple times. 

No athlete is ever pleased to find their name on a list like this, but one who may feel especially unhappy is Canadian Athlete Cedric Lapointe. His Open has been especially eventful this year.

He posted a time of 8:16 on 20.1, a score that was good enough to place him 2nd worldwide. 

He then received the following message from CrossFit Inc. 

“Cedric, I manage the review process for the CrossFit Games. After consideration, your video has received a MAJOR penalty for consistent lack of extension in the ground to overhead. A MAJOR penalty for 20.1 is 2:30mins, which will adjust your 10:46. Good luck for the rest of the season”

This prompted him to release the following statement.

I’m someone who’s pretty happy in life, rarely sad and never mad, but this morning I am. I’m mad because I’ve sent 3 e-mails to CFHQ for an appeal and never got an answer back.

“If you don’t have a big name, they’ll step on you and enjoy doing it because they love feeling powerful.”

How can I go from 2nd in the world to 900th? How can one persons opinion of my video determine I’m not fit enough to keep my well earned score? I’m mad because I’m not made of money, I’m a full time athlete, who can’t just compete in every sanctioned event, so qualifying through the open was important to me. I saved money to go to @filthy150 thinking it would be the 1st Sanctioned Event and easier for me to qualify for the CF Games, but they just invited 7 Games athletes. Why cant you not do that in advance? Tell the athletes and stop thinking with your wallet. We’re human beings, we don’t want to be part of your game and when I ask you in advance on IG, have the descency [sic] and humility to answer me.

I put my life on hold for 2 years of my own life for a sport (or a brand) that can’t even respect me. Someone who paid their stupid 1K$ to be a CF trainer, someone who’s serving THEIR community and someone who’s been helping THEM grow the last 4 years. Why can’t you respect us, the elite athletes, that are spreading social media of free content for you?

I’m mad because I’m only one person, one person that is trying to fight against an industry that enjoys playing with us, with the rules, the standards and the season like if we were toys and we don’t matter to them. I’m mad because despite all the previous facts, I’m in love with that sport and I’ll keep preaching it every single day.

I wish things were different, I wish things were fair. I wish there would be a system that works, but I’m sad that it won’t be with CF.

Cedric then appealed against the decision and won! 

But now, once again, he has received a major penalty.