Athletes Share Reconfirmation and Cancellation Emails

Two versions of an email sent by CrossFit to athletes are floating around out there: one for those like Kelsey Kiel who have lost their CrossFit Games...

Friday, May 15th, 2020

Two versions of an email sent by CrossFit to athletes are floating around out there: one for those like Kelsey Kiel who have lost their CrossFit Games invites and ones to athletes like Kari Pearce that are meant to reconfirm their intent to compete at the event in August.

Good morning and welcome to the WODDITY podcast for news about CrossFit. We are a daily podcast, Monday through Friday, doing CrossFit news in five minutes or less.

My name is Ben Garves and today is Friday, the 15th of May, 2020. Don’t forget, links to all of these stories are in the show notes of your friendly neighborhood podcasting app, as well as on the new WODDITY.com.

I hope everyone was super inspired by Greg Glassman’s words on the podcast yesterday. Sometimes it’s important to remember that even in these toughest of times, our difficulties are only relative to our situation and we are truly blessed to be here and helping people navigate a better way through their lives with their nutrition and fitness.

Athlete Confirmation Emails

Let’s talk about these emails! Morning Chalk Up has shared the body of Kari Pearce’s email from CrossFit, reconfirming her intent to compete at the Games. It says:

“We are writing to reconfirm your invitation to compete at the 2020 Reebok CrossFit Games. 

With ongoing circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, we have shifted the format and location of the event. Presently, we are working to host a non-spectator event at The Ranch in Aromas, California, the birthplace of the Games. The event is scheduled for the week of July 27-Aug. 2. For more details, see the announcement here. 

The plan is to accommodate up to 30 individual men and 30 individual women. No other divisions will compete. We will be using the worldwide Open leaderboard to determine 20 competitors in each division, as well as extending invitations to the winners or next athlete in line from each of the 10 Sanctionals that were able to host physical competitions. 

Due to your placement at a Sanctionals Event, you are invited to compete in Aromas. We ask you please confirm your acceptance and intent to compete at the CrossFit Games by Friday, May 15, so we can share more information with you or notify the next athlete in line if you choose not to compete. Simply reply to this email with a “yes” or “no.” “

For those athletes less lucky, they received an email with a slightly different tone. I've received a copy, but have not been given permission to share it here. The gist of that email is the same explanation, but that unfortunately the athlete’s invitation has been rescinded due to the global situation. A screenshot of the email was also posted briefly to Instagram by Kelsey Kiel before being removed.

CrossFit Headlines

Other major headlines in the news today:

The team at the Dubai CrossFit Championship is having an online competition with prize money totalling $46,000. The link to sign up is in the show notes and at WODDITY.com. Minimal equipment is required and registration is only $5. I just signed up today, so see if you can beat lil’ ol’ me on the leaderboard.Morning Chalk Up has given unofficial awards to each age group category for great performances this year.James Newbury, who has been on a vegan diet for a while now is taking on some of the critics of the “The Game Changers” documentary about plant-based diets and fitness.We’ve had our first Sanctional cancellation of the 2021 CrossFit Games season with the announcement that the Dubai CrossFIt Championship will not be running this year. Some Sanctional events are in a better financial position than others, as the CanWest games shared, “If 3 out of 10 people request an immediate refund, CanWest will go bankrupt and there will not be a 2021, or any future events.”Loud and Live Sports, the company running a number of Sanctionals, including Wodapalooza, is nearly three months late in making some athlete payouts for performances at the event. They stay they are working on a way to find the funds.

Gyms and COVID-19

And to close things out, here’s the latest in COVID. Skip right on past if you have heard too much. I won’t take it personally.

Gyms in Minnesota are letting the governor know they will defy orders to stay closed.Gyms in Ohio are suing the state over not being included in the state’s reopening plan.Gyms in Colorado are set to reopen with measures for safe distancing.Gyms in Wyoming have already opened to new standards and are working to get used to them. Same with any gyms in Arizona.And Spectrum News did a story on how Bethany Shadburne has built the ultimate home gym to keep training while under lockdown in the outskirts of Austin, Texas.

That’s it for news about CrossFit for Friday, May 15th. Thanks for listening. Please be sure to rate, review, subscribe, and share. For WODDITY, I’m Ben Garves. Behave yourselves out there.