On April 8, 2021, CrossFit HQ revealed more details about their novel Quarterfinals. Compared to past CrossFit seasons, this year’s road to the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games is unlike any other. Athletes just completed the three-week-long Open and now move onto the Quarterfinals stage. Individuals will compete the week of April 5, Teams will compete the week of April 19, and Masters & Teens will compete during the week of May 3. (More info on the Games qualification system is below.)
This year, CrossFit is adhering to a continent-based system. That means the top 10 percent of individuals and top 25 percent of teams in the Open from each continent advance to the Quarterfinals. Here is the breakdown of how many athletes per region that translates to:
Women’s Division
- North America — 5,359 athletes
- Europe — 1,904 athletes
- Oceania — 779 athletes
- South America — 388 athletes
- Asia — 359 athletes
- Africa — 278 athletes
Men’s Division
- North America — 7,327 athletes
- Europe — 3,402 athletes
- Oceania — 990 athletes
- Asia — 812 athletes
- South America — 703 athletes
- Africa — 421 athletes
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[Related: Check out the Results of the 2021 CrossFit Open]
2021 CrossFit Games Quarterfinals Workouts
The Quarterfinals’ five workouts — which CrossFit refers to as Tests — for the Individual Division are due between April 9-11 (Friday through Sunday). The workouts are as follows:
Test One
Scores are due by 12 p.m. PST on Friday, April 9.
For total time:
Three rounds of
- 10 strict handstand push-ups
- 10 dumbbell hang power cleans
- 50 double-unders
Rest exactly one minute, then three rounds of:
- 10 kipping handstand push-ups
- 10 dumbbell shoulder-to-overheads
- 50 double-unders
Time cap — 10 minutes | Women: 35-pound dumbbell | Men: 50-pound dumbbell
Test Two
Scores are due by 12 p.m. PST on Friday, April 9.
For time:
- 60 GHD sit-ups
- Six rope climbs (15-foot rope)
- 60 alternating single-leg squats
- 50 GHD sit-ups
- Five rope climbs (15-foot rope)
- 50 alternating single-leg squats
- 40 GHD sit-ups
- Four rope climbs (15-foot rope)
- 40 alternating single-leg squats
- 30 GHD sit-ups
- Three rope climbs (15-foot rope)
- 30 alternating single-leg squats
Time cap — 20 minutes.
Test Three
Scores are due by 12 p.m. PST on Saturday, April 10.
For time:
- 120 wall ball shots
- 120-calorie row
Time cap — 15 minutes | Women: 14-pound ball to nine-foot target | Men: 20-pound ball to 10-foot target
Test Four
Scores are due by 12 p.m. PST on Saturday, April 10.
For max load:
- Four-rep max front squat
Time cap — 20 minutes
Test Five
Scores are due by 12 p.m. PST on Sunday, April 11.
For time, nine-six-three reps of the following:
Time cap — seven minutes | Women: 135 pounds, 30-inch box | Men: 185 pounds, 30-inch box
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[Related: Use CrossFit Open Results to Improve Your Programming and Fitness Routine]
Quarterfinals Equipment List
In case you missed it, here’s the full list of equipment you need to compete in the Quarterfinals.
- All recommended Open equipment
- 30 feet of flat space suitable for movements covering distance
- 15 feet climbing rope
- Medicine ball 20/14 pounds
- Two dumbbells 50/35 pounds
- Concept2 Rower
- Gymnastic Rings
- GHD
- Squat Rack
How to Qualify for the 2021 CrossFit Games
The structure of this year’s CrossFit season is pretty different compared to year’s past. The main difference is that there will be a three-step qualification process, including the Open, the Quarterfinals, the Semifinals, and a Last-Chance Qualifier for athletes who finished within three spots of a Games qualifying position.
This year’s qualification system is a three-phase, continent-based system that includes the Open, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and a Last-Chance Qualifier. CrossFit will recognize North America, Europe, Oceania, Asia, South America, Africa. The top 10% of athletes (25% of teams and 10% worldwide for age-group competitors) during the Open moved on to the Quarterfinals.
[Related: Noah Ohlsen and Kristin Holte Give Their Tips to Dominate the Virtual Open]
During the Quarterfinals, the top men, women, and teams from each continent must submit videos for review. However, the number of submissions changes depending on the continent.
- North America: 150 women, 150 men, 100 teams
- Europe: 90 women, 90 men, 60 teams
- Oceania, Asia, South America, and Africa: 50 women, 50 men, and 40 teams.
There will be 10 total Semifinal events — four North America events, two in Europe, and one each in Asia, South America, Africa, and Oceania. Two of those events will be held virtually as of March 31, 2021, and the other eight will be live when this article was written. Athletes who finished within three spots of a Games qualifying position will compete in the Last-Chance Qualifier. (The number of athletes who will qualify for the Semifinals is as follows:
- North America: the top 120 men and women and 80 teams (30 men, 30 women, and 20 teams in each of the four Semifinals).
- Europe: the top 60 men and women and 40 teams (30 men, 30 women, and 20 teams in each of the two Semifinals)
- Asia, Africa, South America & Oceania: the top 30 men and women and 20 teams, respectively.
Ultimately, 38 men, 38 women, and 38 teams will qualify for the Games via the Semifinal events. Two additional men and two additional women will qualify via the Last-Chance Qualifier.
Featured image: @crossfitgames on Instagram
