SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. — CrossFit, Inc. today announced five newly-sanctioned fitness competitions, spanning Australia, Europe and Asia. Each event will qualify athletes to the 2019 or 2020 CrossFit Games in Madison, Wisconsin.
Starting in 2019, the Australian CrossFit Championship, Asia CrossFit Championship, Reykjavik CrossFit Championship, Down Under CrossFit Championship, and Pandaland CrossFit Challenge will expand the competitive opportunities available to CrossFit athletes across the globe.
“These new events are a true testament to CrossFit’s global reach,” said CrossFit founder Greg Glassman. “Whether athletes are competing in Wollongong, Reykjavik, or Shanghai, they represent the spirit of the CrossFit community—a community that today crosses more borders and contains more languages and cultures than we could have ever imagined at the start.”
Australian CrossFit Championship:
In January 2019, athletes in Queensland, Australia, will ring in the new year by throwing down at the Australian CrossFit Championship. The competition will begin with an online qualifier to select the 32 men and women, along with 16 teams, who will receive invitations to compete at the Gold Coast Convention and Entertainment Centre for a ticket to the 2019 CrossFit Games. “We are looking forward to the community coming together to celebrate the CrossFit lifestyle while watching some of the best do what they do so well in the arena,” said Championship director Darren Coughlan.
Asia CrossFit Championship:
China will host its first-ever CrossFit Games-qualifying competition in April 2019 with the 全力游戏 Asia CrossFit Championship. As the largest international CrossFit competition on the Chinese Mainland—previously known as the 全力游戏 China Invitational—the newly-sanctioned event builds on the momentum of CrossFit’s rapid rise in the People’s Republic and will qualify its top male, female, and team athletes to the 2019 CrossFit Games. “With event programming from CrossFit Games athletes Austin Malleolo, Spencer Hendel and James Hobart, the 全力游戏 Asia CrossFit Championship is not one to miss,” said Max Ma, owner of One Nation Huaihai & owner and director of the 全力游戏 Asia CrossFit Championship.
Reykjavik CrossFit Championship:
In May 2019, competitors will battle for spots to the 2019 CrossFit Games in the Land of Ice and Fire. “Physical strength has always been fundamental to survival in Iceland, a land of rough and unforgiving natural conditions,” said Reykjavik Championship Director Annie Thorisdottir. “Building on the tradition of Icelandic strongmen and women, the competition will be varied and exciting.” In addition to the “Elite” division of competition, which will award invitations to the 2019 CrossFit Games to the winners of the men’s, women’s, and team divisions, the Reykjavik Championship will offer additional opportunities to compete in an “RX” division to the local Icelandic CrossFit community.
Down Under CrossFit Championship:
Wollongong, Australia—previous host city to six CrossFit Games Regional Events—will welcome back CrossFit competitors in May of 2019 as they vie for qualifying spots to the 2019 CrossFit Games. “The Down Under CrossFit Championship is proud to announce that we will be going back to the Gong where the CrossFit Community has flourished,” said Championship director Mick Shaw. “This year, the Down Under CrossFit Championship will incorporate some of the scenic settings of Wollongong into the events to create a diverse and challenging event.” The competition will take place over three days in the iconic Australian seaside city.
Pandaland CrossFit Challenge:
In December 2019, CrossFit athletes will take the competition floor at the Pandaland CrossFit Challenge, aptly held in the Sichuan Province, home of China’s legendary giant pandas. The city of Chengdu is eager to welcome CrossFit competitors of all nationalities to the second Chinese CrossFit-sanctioned event, qualifying the top man, woman, and team athletes to the 2020 CrossFit Games. “We are ready to share our love of history, culture, and sport,” said CrossFit Tianfu owner and Pandaland CrossFit Challenge director Zhu Chen, “and celebrate the growth of the Chinese CrossFit community with the rest of the world.”
CrossFit, Inc. will continue to announce additional sanctioned events in the approaching weeks. All changes to the CrossFit Games season will be codified and published in the official CrossFit Games rule book prior to the 2019 Open.
Registration for the 2019 CrossFit Open begins January 10, 2019.
To learn more about CrossFit, visit www.crossfit.com.
SOURCE CrossFit, Inc.
