2024 CrossFit Games

The 2024 CrossFit Games were the 18th edition of the premier competition in the sport of CrossFit, that was held from August 9 to August 11, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas.^[1] The competition was won by James Sprague and Tia-Clair Toomey for the individuals, Raw Iron CrossFit Mayhem Thunder for the team.^[2] Competitors criticized the event organizers for resuming the event after one competitor died during the first day's events, with some withdrawing from the competition.^[3]

The CrossFit Games were held in the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth this season after 6 years in the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin.^[4] Due to the excessive summer heat in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex which may be unsuitable for competitive sport outdoors, most of the events were held indoors.^[5] There was no title sponsor for the Games for the first time since 2011, but there were two premier-level sponsors in GoRuck and Rogue Fitness.^[6] There was no change in the top prizes awarded this year; the total prize purse for the season amounted to over $3.3 million.^[7][8]

For the 2024 season, the finals of the Masters, Teens and Adaptive divisions were separated from the main CrossFit Games in Texas. Competitors 35 and over (Masters) competed in the Masters CrossFit Games, organized in association with the Legends Championship, held in Birmingham, Alabama.^[9] Competitors under 18 participated in the Teenage CrossFit Games, which was held in Three Rivers, Michigan and the Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan.^[10] The adaptive athletes competed in the Adaptive CrossFit Games by WheelWOD from September 22–24, 2024 at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.^[11][12] All the divisions increased the number of participants in their finals.^[13]

The first day of the main CrossFit Games, scheduled for August 8, 2024, was cancelled after Lazar Đukić drowned during the first event, an aquathlon.^[14] The competition resumed the following day after a consultation with the athletes, although a number of athletes including both 2023 champions Laura Horvath and Jeffrey Adler chose to withdraw from the competition.^[15] Other athletes also withdrew as the competition progressed.^[16]

There are three qualification stages. As before, the CrossFit Games season starts with the Open, to be followed by the Quarterfinals and the Semi-finals.^[17] Some adjustments were made to the qualifying stages, in particular in the numbers of qualifiers from the Open and the Quarterfinals.^[18] All stages of the adaptive division this season including the Open were split off to be operated by WheelWOD, while the various stages for the age group divisions stayed the same apart from the finals.^[19][20] As in 2023, there are seven competition regions, and athletes must compete in their designated region in the semi-finals unless exemptions had first been obtained.^[21][22]

The Open started on February 29, 2024, and continued for three weeks until 18 March.^[23][24] A workout was released every week for a total of 3 workouts.^[25][26][27] This year 343,528 athletes (344,396 including the adaptive divisions) registered for the Open, up over 6% from 2023.^[28][29] This year has the second highest number of returning athletes after 2018.^[30] The Open was won by Jonne Koski for the men and Mirjam von Rohr for the women.^[31]

The number of qualifiers for the quarterfinals in every region has been increased from 10% of the Open participants to 25% this season.^[32][33] The team quarterfinals took place on April 3–8, 2024, with the individual and age-group quarterfinals taking place on April 17–22, 2024. Competitors have more time (two days longer) than previous years to complete their workouts.^[18] Four individual workouts were released on April 17, and scores from the first two needed to be submitted by April 20, with the final two on April 22.^[34]

The number of individual qualifiers for the semi-final for every region has been set at 40, meaning that the number of qualifiers for the North America and Europe regions has been reduced from 60 to 40, while the rest will be increased from 30 to 40.^[35][36] Similarly, the qualifiers for the team competition for every region has been set at 30.^[37] As in previous years, the semi-finals will be live competitions. Each semi-final will a pre-determined minimum number of qualifiers, but the final number that qualified from each semi-final for the Games will be determined by a strength-of-field calculation used in 2023.^[35][38] However, this year only those taking part in individual Semi-finals counted in the calculation, a change that favored smaller regions and resulted in fewer qualifying spots for North America and Europe.^[39]

In 2024, a total of 40 men (23 consecutively) and a total of 40 women (19 consecutively) qualified for the finals to compete as individuals.^[40] The number of individual competitors would be cut during the competition, to 30 on Saturday afternoon, and 20 by Sunday morning.^[41]

In 2024, a total of 30 teams will qualify for the finals^[40]

This is the first year the competition will be held at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. Events open to public will also be held on Friday night at the nearby Farrington Field.^[48] The cuts this year were to have been similar to the 2023 Games with a change, and the field will be cut to 30 athletes after the Saturday morning event, and to 20 by the end of the day.^[49] The cut was later changed in an announcement when competition resumed after Events 2 and 3 were cancelled, and only one cut was made with 30 athletes competing in the final day (around 16 male and female individual athletes had already withdrawn by Saturday). The events were broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+ in the United States.^[50]

Source:^[51]

An aquathlon (run and swim) featuring a 3.5-mile run followed by an 800-metre swim. The event was held on Marine Creek Lake near the city of Fort Worth in the morning. Lazar Đukić, who was among the leaders in the swim, drowned. His body was later recovered and the following events for the day were canceled.^[52]

A meeting with all athletes and coaches as well as Đukić's brother Luka (who also competed) and other family members was held in the afternoon, and it was agreed to continue with the competition on Friday.^[53] However, Luka Đukić later revealed he had not agreed to the continuation of the competition as a tribute to Lazar as claimed by the leader of the sport team Dave Castro.^[54] A number of athletes, including both 2023 champions Laura Horvath and Jeffrey Adler as well as Luka Đukić, chose to withdraw from the competition.^[15]

Following the fatality that took place during the Aquathlon, these two events were cancelled.

Hammer Down:

• 4 rounds for time:
• 50 hammer strikes (16/20-lb sledgehammer)
• 14 sandbag throws/get over the tire (70/100-lb sandbag)
• 5 tire flips (242 lb)

Amanda .45

Event 3 was to have been a repeat of the event that debuted in 2017, named for 2009 Games competitor Amanda Miller, who died of cancer in 2010. It was cancelled after the fatality during the aquathlon.

• 13-11-9-7-5 repetitions of muscle-ups and squat snatches for time.
• A 12-minute time cap would have been involved.

The CrossFit Games began with a solemn memorial service in memory of the deceased competitor.

CrossFit also announced, because of event cancellations and withdrawals, only one cut would be implemented. The cut will be to the Top 30 individuals and Top 20 teams at the end of Saturday's competitions.

One round of (women/men):

• 50 deadlifts (155/225 lb)
• 5 rope climbs
• 30/50 ski-erg calories
• 5 rope climbs
• 50 GHD sit-ups
• 5 rope climbs
• 50 GHD sit-ups
• 5 rope climbs
• 30/50 ski-erg calories
• 5 rope climbs
• 50 deadlifts

Three rounds for time of (women/men):

• Echo-bike calories (11/15)
• 11 burpees over barricade

Part 1

• 1,600-meter run

Part 2

At the 12-minute mark (women/men):

• 50-yard sprint
• 50-yard bag carry (70/100 lb)
• 75-yard sprint
• 75-yard bag carry
• 100-yard sprint

The two parts were scored separately, and the rankings from the two parts are then combined to give the final ranking for the event.

• 1000 box step-up

Ruck pack: 45/35 lb for men/women.

To be completed as 250 trips

All athletes competed at the same time.

• Round 1: 3-2-1-1-1 cleans
• Round 2: 2-1-1-1 cleans
• Round 3: 1-1-1 cleans

Weights for the cleans in the ladder (women / men)

• Round 1: (165/175/185/195/205 lb) / (255/265/275/285/295 lb)
• Round 2: (205/215/225/230 lb ) / (295/305/315/325 lb)
• Round 3: (230/240/250 lb) / (325/345/365 lb

For time:

• 45 handstand push-ups
• 80-foot sled pull from standing (110/180 lb)
• 30 strict handstand push-ups
• 80-foot sled pull seated from the platform
• 15 freestanding handstand push-ups

5 rounds for time:

• 175-meter run
• 12 toes-to-bars
• 8 alternating dumbbell snatches (70/100 lb)

For time:

• 24 thrusters (65/95 lb)
• 24 chest-to-bar pull-ups
• 80-foot yoke carry (245/425 lb)
• 21 chest-to-bar pull-ups
• 21 thrusters

Athletes rest for 2 minutes after Even 9, then

• 18 thrusters (95/135 lb)
• 18 bar muscle-ups
• 80-foot yoke carry (345/525 lb)
• 15 bar muscle-ups
• 15 thrusters

The first day (Thursday) was cancelled after a fatality in the first event, an aquathlon that featured a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) run followed by an 800-meter (0.50 mi) swim at Marine Creek Lake Park and Trail.^[56][57] Tarrant County officials officially confirmed Lazar Đukić, a 28-year-old Serbian competitor, died during the swim portion of the aquathlon.^[58][59] An investigation into the death, including an independent third-party review, was announced.^[60] The Professional Fitness Athletes' Association, a group that represents the interest of CrossFit athletes, demanded that there should be "appropriate level of transparency" on the third-party investigation and subsequent changes to protect the athletes, that an independent safety team should be created, and that Dave Castro, the leader of the sport team, should be removed.^[16][61][62]

This is not the first time that the swim portion of a CrossFit event has raised safety concerns. During the 2017 CrossFit Games, Brent Fikowski, who later founded PFAA, prevented fellow competitor Mat Fraser from drowning when he outpaced himself during a run-swim-run event.^[63] According to Fraser's at-the-time endurance coach, Chris Hinshaw, Fraser had started bobbing in the water after outpacing himself and "was going to drown."^[63]

The teams events for August 8 were canceled after the drowning of a competitor.^[64] Two teams also withdrew from the competition.^[15]

Squat, Ski, Climb

For time: 40 synchro sandbag squats (150/200 lb) 1 legless rope climb each 40-calorie ski erg 1 legless rope climb each 10 Earthworm thrusters 2 legless rope climbs each 10 Earthworm thrusters 1 legless rope climb each 40-calorie ski erg 1 legless rope climb each 40 synchro sandbag squats (150/200 lb)

Team Firestorm

All for time: F/F pair completes 3 rounds for time of: 11-calorie Echo bike 11 burpees over barricade

M/M pair completes 3 rounds for time of: 15-calorie Echo bike 11 burpees over barricade

Farrington Five

For time: 1,600-meter team run 54-yard Bob Push (942 lb)

Inverted Earthworm

For time: 20 Earthworm cleans 60 handstand push-ups 20 Earthworm cleans 40 strict handstand push-ups 20 Earthworm cleans 10 freestanding handstand push-ups

3 Amigos

For time: 120 synchro wall-ball shots (14/20 lb, 10-foot target) 90 synchro GHD sit-ups 60 synchro box jump-overs 30 synchro dumbbell snatches (70/100 lb)

Fort Worth Shuffle

For time: 30-foot Earthworm lunge (L) 25 chest-to-bar pull-ups/run 25 chest-to-bar pull-ups/run 30-foot Earthworm lunge (R) 20 toes-to-bars/run 20 toes-to-bars/run 30-foot Earthworm lunge (L) 15 bar muscle-ups/run 15 bar muscle-ups/run 30-foot Earthworm lunge (R)

Beasts of Burden

For time: 120-foot Snail push (720 lb) 80 synchro deadlifts (225/315 lb) 120-foot Snail push

The Masters and Teens competitions were held separately from the main CrossFit Games but still considered part of the CrossFit Games. The 2024 Masters CrossFit Games were held on August 29-September 1 at the Birmingham-Jefferson County Civic Center. A 70+ division was added as a trial, but it was not considered part of the CrossFit Games season. Team events were also held.^[65] The Teenage CrossFit Games were held on August 30-September 1 at CrossFit Triple Ranch in Three Rivers, Michigan and the Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Two other competitions, Pit Teen Throwdown and Pit Collegiate Throwdown were also held there at the same time but they were not part of the CrossFit Games.^[66]