Note: Please read through the rulebook on your own, I’m just highlighting some of the items that stick out to me and apply to the athletes I coach.
New 3 Week Format
3 Week Open – “with one or more events released each week”
“Each week’s event(s) will be released on Thursday at 5 p.m. Pacific Time. Athletes will have until the following Monday at 5 p.m. PT to complete the event(s) and submit a score.”
My thoughts: There could be two workouts to complete each of the three weekends of the Open (or) it could be where a workout has two parts (e.g. 15.1 / 15.1a, 18.2 / 18.2a). CrossFit LLC is all about tradition so I could see there still being five workouts, but it’s all fair game.
Equipment: Bar & Bumpers, Single Dumbbell, Pull-Up Bar, Plyo Box, Jump Rope
Equipment
-Equipment list excludes: Rowing, Wall Balls and Ring Work
-Equipment list could include: HSPU, HSW, Lunges, Other Bodyweight Movements
“In every applicable division, an athlete who chooses to perform the equipment-free version of the Open event will be ranked relative to all other athletes performing the equipment-free version of the event but below all athletes who performed the prescribed, scaled, or foundations version of the event.”
In other words, if you want to qualify for the Quarterfinals or the Age Group Qualifier, you can’t do the equipment free version.
My Thoughts: With 10% of athletes qualifying to the next level (in all divisions) there is a massive margin for error to get the best athletes through to the next stage from Castro’s perspective. Therefore, the possibilities for programming are wide open. It’s possible that the Open is -for once- tailored for the everyday gym-goer.
Continents, Not Regions
“During the registration process, athletes will provide information to establish their competitive continent for the Open.”
This is based on citizenship.
My Thoughts: CrossFit will not make exceptions for late entries, and their website has been known to crash. Unless you’re a top athlete, there is zero reason to “game the leaderboard”, so submit your score(s) early and resubmit in the event of a redo.
Workouts will be released in pounds, so if you have equipment in kilos, know the acceptable conversions.
If you hope or plan to qualify for a future stage or event through the Open, you must film following the guidelines + upload to the Games site (or) be evaluated by a judge at a CrossFit affiliate who verifies your score.
If you plan on not performing Open workouts at an affiliate, please see this page.
“Affiliate managers MAY NOT validate scores for athletes who perform an Open event at home and are not members of their affiliate.”
Overall Thoughts on the Season Changes
I think the new changes are a move in the right direction. We have all been hoping that CrossFit LLC would begin to hold the Sport side of CrossFit in a higher regard, and having dates set in stone on the calendar and a season rulebook are big steps in that direction.
Every other sport has a clearly defined season that allows coaches and athletes to prepare accordingly. CrossFit can become more professionalized as the Sport moves in this same direction.
More than ever, it is easier to qualify for the next round, regardless of your division. Ten percent is a HUGE number when we are talking about hundreds of thousands of registered athletes.
Lastly, be committed to your best effort, whatever that is, regardless of any changes that may come to the season structure. Be flexible and adaptable.
Quarterfinals
“Based on Open rank, individual men and women in the top 10%* on each continent are eligible to participate in the Quarterfinals.”
*Percentages will be based on the number of athletes registered per continent as of the close of 21.1.
My Thoughts: In other words, it is the total registered not the total number of athletes who actually do the workouts and submit them. This only helps your rank since there are hundreds of people who sign up every year who never do a workout or don’t complete all the workouts.
“[Athletes will] complete a series of events over the course of one weekend, Thursday through Monday.”
“The exact number of events will be released prior to the start of Quarterfinals.”
“Athletes worldwide will pay a US$50 athlete registration fee.”
“Should an athlete decline their invite, CrossFit, LLC does not intend to backfill that spot to the next athlete in line.”
“Athletes and teams submitting scores must use a registered judge for each workout and have their performance validated by a validly licensed CrossFit affiliate in good standing.”
You must video all workouts.
“For individual athletes competing in the Quarterfinals, all rankings will reset, and each athlete will start with the same rank.”
To have someone be certified as a judge, go to this link.
Information about qualifying for Semifinals has not yet been released.
Age Group Online Qualifiers
If you are an age group athlete – double check where your birthdate falls.
“Age-group athletes will compete in the Open against all other age-group athletes in their age division worldwide for the opportunity to advance to the next level of competition. Based on Open finish rank, the top 10%* of age-group athletes worldwide in each age division will qualify to compete in the Age-Group Online Qualifier. Like in the Open, in this competition, age-group athletes will submit scores and/or videos for additional events.”
“*Percentages will be based on the number of athletes registered per age division as of the close of 21.1.”
“The top 20 men and 20 women in each age-group division (including teenage divisions) will qualify to compete at the Games.”
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