The rosters have been set and CrossFit HQ has confirmed the first five teams that will be heading to the CrossFit Games.
All teams earnt their invitations through the Sanctionals completed so far. Games team rosters consist of six members; four of which would have competed at the Sanctional, and two alternates (one woman and one man).
2020 REEBOK CROSSFIT GAMES TEAM INVITES
Meatsquad
From CrossFit Filthy 150 in Dublin, Ireland:
- Dex Hopkins
- Christian Harris
- Zach Sowder – alternate
- Brooke Haas – captain
- Kelly Baker
- Amanda Hardeman – alternate
MisFit M10 Performance
Affiliate: CrossFit OC3
From the Dubai CrossFit Championship in Dubai, UAE:
- Travis Williams
- Roy Gamboa
- Chandler Smith – alternate
- Taylor Williamson – captain
- Andrea Nisler
- Tia-Clair Toomey – alternate
Team Butchers Lab
From the Pandaland CrossFit Challenge in Chengdu, China:
- André Houdet
- Julian Kragh-Maschvitsz
- Filip Yang Fisker – alternate
- Rebecka Vitesson – captain
- Louise Wickstrom
- Frederikke Frandsen – alternate
Team Odd Squat
Affiliate: Gopher State CrossFit
From the SouthFit CrossFit Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina:
- Brandon Luckett
- Jordan Cook
- Nick Mathew – alternate
- Alexis Johnson – captain
- Emily Tanner
- McKenzie Flinchum – alternate
CrossFit Mayhem Freedom
From CrossFit Strength in Depth in London, U.K.:
- Richard Froning Jr. – captain
- Scott Panchik
- Dre Strohm – alternate
- Chyna Cho
- Tasia Percevecz
- Haley Adams – alternate
Sanctionals are the only way for a team to qualify to the CrossFit Games. While last year saw 14 teams take on the competition floor, the opportunities for athletes to head to the Games as a team have almost doubled this year with the addition of new Sanctionals.
With the exception of the Mayhem Classic, the Reykjavik CrossFit Championship and the Italian Showdown, all Sanctionals have a team spot to the 2020 Games up for grabs.
Taking the postponement of the Fittest in Cape Town Sanctional into consideration, there are 24 potential spots available for teams at the 2020 Games.
Once the six names for the roster have been provided to HQ they can’t be changed, and teams can only chose from those athletes to field a team at the Games.
If an athlete’s name is already on a roster, they’re not allowed to compete for a different team at the Games. If they compete on a different team prior to the Games, the athlete’s new team will not be eligible to receive an invitation to the Games.
- This is relevant for teams such as GOWOD at Wodapalooza. Team members Taylor Williamson and Andrea Nisler have already accepted their invite to the 2020 Games with MisFit M10 Performance. Should they, together with Luke Schafer and Streat Hoerner, win the Sanctional, the new team is not eligible to receive a Games invitation.
Source: Photo Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.
An interesting note
According to the rulebook: “The top team from Sanctionals events (from the elite or Rx’d division equivalent) may receive an invitation to compete at the Games.”
“CrossFit, Inc. reserves the right to pass the invitation to the Games to the second-place team if the winning team of a Sanctionals competition already received an invitation to the Games from a previous Sanctionals competition.”
CrossFit Mayhem Freedom, who have already earnt an invite through CrossFit Strength in Depth, will be competing at Wodapalooza later this month.
Should they win, it’s not a given that the CrossFit Games spot will be backfilled to the next eligible team.
While it’s unlikely that CrossFit will chose to do this, it’s an interesting clause to keep an eye out for.
The 2020 Reebok CrossFit Games will be held the week of Wednesday, July 29, through Sunday, Aug. 2.
Image Sources
- Mayhem Freedom: Photo Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.