- The past week has seen a furor around CrossFit due to its lack of public support for the Black Lives Matter movement and CEO Greg Glassman’s insensitive comment following the death of George Floyd.
- Athletes including Noah Olsen and Tia-Clair Toomey have said their future with CrossFit hangs on the company changing its stance.
- Some competitors have pulled out of the 2020 Games, and others have posted on social media expressing their anger, disappointment, and shame.
- The 2020 UK’s fittest man Zack George told Insider he believes Glassman should resign.
- CrossFit did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for further comment.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
The fittest athletes in the world are boycotting CrossFit following an insensitive comment made by the company’s CEO after the death of George Floyd.
The functional fitness behemoth, which was founded in 2000 by Greg Glassman, was also facing criticism for its lack of public support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Many of CrossFit’s biggest ambassadors have disassociated themselves with the company, expressing their anger, disappointment, and shame. Reebok and some affiliate gyms also confirmed they are ending their partnerships with CrossFit following Glassman’s comment.
Some of the biggest names in the sport have said they will no longer be competing at the 2020 CrossFit Games unless something changes, and the UK’s fittest man Zack George told Insider he believes Glassman should resign.
The CEO subsequently posted a statement on Twitter saying his comments were "a mistake."
CrossFit was called out for its lack of support for Black Lives Matter
CrossFit CEO Glassman tweeted "It's FLOYD-19" on Saturday in response to a post from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation classifying racism and discrimination as a public health issue, Business Insider's Shoshy Ciment reported.
It's FLOYD-19.
— Greg Glassman (@CrossFitCEO) June 6, 2020
CrossFit had also been facing criticism for staying silent on the issue of systemic racism, and failing to publicly post any support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
When Seattle CrossFit gym Rocket CrossFit emailed the company's management to explain why it was disassociating with the brand and express concern over the company's lack of support for Black Lives Matter, it claims it received a reply from Glassman himself which has shocked many athletes.
"You're doing your best to brand us as racist and you know it's bulls---. That makes you a really s----y person," Glassman wrote back to Rocket CrossFit, according to an email screengrab.
And although Glassman posted a statement on Sunday night saying his tweet was "a mistake, not racist but a mistake," the vast majority of the world's top CrossFit athletes have spoken out to distance themselves from the sport, condemn Glassman's comments, and even announce they're boycotting the Games.
Top athletes have pulled out of the 2020 CrossFit Games
US athlete Noah Olsen, who came second at the 2019 Games, posted on Instagram to announce he would not be participating at this year's event, due to be held later this fall, unless CrossFit makes some major changes.
"I've decided that I cannot, in good conscience, compete during this time for a company that hasn't shown themselves to have values that I align with," Olsen wrote.
He's not the only renowned competitor to announce "I'm out" either.
Kristie O'Connell and Chandler Smith supported his decision, saying they would do the same.
"I have yet to speak on anything going on for fear of retribution and must remain apolitical due to the nature of my job," Smith wrote.
"This decision puts me in a very vulnerable position with both work and my desired future career as a @CrossFitGames athlete.
"However, I do not believe choosing to avoid participation in this year's event is a violation of duties: to my job, to the sport, or to my ethics.
"It is my hope that others join me in applying pressure to HQ in order to improve the organization we love and make it better going forward."
Tia-Clair Toomey, officially the fittest woman in the world for the past three years, said her role in the sport is "unclear," adding that she was "ashamed" to be part of CrossFit.
"My future with Crossfit is unclear and depends on the direction of HQ," Toomey said.
"I will continue to stand against ignorance and stand alongside those who fight abuse, hatred, and racism."
CrossFit's biggest ambassadors are angry and disappointed
Other athletes are yet to say whether they will continue to compete in the Games, but many have expressed their anger and disappointment.
Icelandic athlete Katrin Davidsdottir, who won the Crossfit Games in 2015 and 2016, said she was "truly ashamed, disappointed, and angry."
Similar sentiments were shared by athletes including Brent Fikowski, Camille Leblanc-Bazinet, Dan Bailey, Kari Pearce, Amanda Barnhart, and Alec Smith.
"It breaks my heart to say I don't want any association with their statements as an organization. I'm outraged, I"m embarrassed. I'm incredibly disappointed," said US competitor Brooke Wells.
Glassman's comments don't match many athletes' CrossFit experience
A lot of the sport's top athletes have expressed how at odds Glassman's comments are with their experience of the CrossFit community.
"As a black man, I have only ever experienced love, kindness, and compassion from the CrossFit community," the 2020 UK's fittest man Zack George wrote on Instagram.
He added: "The comments made by Greg Glassman are not those of the Crossfit community, they are his personal views and they have hurt us all."
George told Insider that he's angry and saddened by Glassman's comments, and wants to ensure people outside the community don't believe that's what CrossFit is like.
"A lot of people ask me if I've encountered sort of any sort of racism within the sport, but I haven't once throughout my seven years," he said.
"The community is so loving and open to any race, any gender, any nationality. That's what the community is about."
UK athlete and 2013 fittest woman on earth Samantha Briggs echoed George's view, saying that "his actions do not represent our community's values."
Icelandic athlete and another former winner Annie Thorisdottir shared a similar sentiment, writing that "CrossFit is much more than one individual."
Mathew Fraser, who has won the Games for the past four years, is yet to personally comment on Glassman's behavior, however, he has reshared posts on Instagram by brands saying they would no longer be affiliated with CrossFit.
George believes Glassman should resign from the company
George told Insider that he thinks the apology Glassman posted on Twitter was "terrible."
"It wasn't a heartfelt apology, it was made for appearances, which isn't good enough," he said.
Due to an unusual selection process thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, George just missed out on being invited to the 2020 CrossFit Games. However, he said that even if he were to get invited (if one of the qualifying athletes got injured, for example), he would decline.
"I would never stand by someone who has those opinions and I'm not afraid to make that known," George said.
If Glassman were to leave the company, however, and CrossFit HQ said they didn't agree with his comments, George said he could see a more positive future for the brand.
"If he just carries on as normal, that will destroy the brand of CrossFit," George said, suggesting that perhaps another brand could launch which would allow people to keep training and competing together.
However, George is pleased with how the community has united in condemning Glassman's comments.
"It's everyone from grassroots to members of boxes, to affiliates, to games, athletes, we've all grouped together and said enough's enough. We're not going to tolerate this. And something needs to change," he said.
CrossFit did not immediately respond to Insider's request for further comment.
Read more:
