Just when we thought we might finally know all of the details of the 2025 CrossFit Games season qualification process, another wrinkle has been leaked: One final man and one final woman will have the opportunity to earn their invite to the 2025 Games through a “Last-Chance Qualifier.” (Well, we think that’s the case, at least.)
We reached out for specific details and an official statement from CrossFit LLC but did not receive a response before publishing. However, Rich Froning leaked the details on Monday during a conversation with Rory McKernan on the CrossFit Mayhem podcast.
- “Yeah, they’re doing a Last-Chance Qualifier this year, too,” Froning said. McKernan seemed to back up this claim.
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After that, there was an awkward moment before Froning added, “I don’t know if that’s announced [yet], but I’m pretty sure…Whoops.”
Remind Me
Before this news, it appeared there were two ways to earn one of the 30 invites to the CrossFit Games this summer in Albany, NY.
- The In-Affiliate Semifinals
- In-Person Qualifying Events (IPQE)
Eighteen men and 18 women will qualify through one of the 10 IPQEs to be held around the world between April and June. All of these are either invitationals or have their own online qualifiers, and it seemed the other 12 would then earn their invites through the In-Affiliate Semifinals.
But wait, we noticed something wasn’t adding up.
CrossFit’s 2025 Rulebook states that the top 11 men and women at Semifinals will earn a cash prize, depending on the number of Open registrations.
- And, on his Week in Review, Director of the CrossFit Games Dave Castro said all CrossFit Games Semifinals qualifiers will receive a cash prize.
So either Castro was wrong, or the Rulebook was wrong, or there was another event CrossFit hadn’t yet released.
- This, of course, explains the Last-Chance Qualifier (LCQ), which we assume will be the final chance to earn the final man and woman’s Games spot.
A Quick History of Last-Chance Qualifiers
CrossFit has hosted an LCQ a few times, starting in the sport’s early days.
2009 marked the first time athletes actually needed to qualify for the CrossFit Games, which they did through Regional competitions.
- Late in the season, CrossFit announced there would also be a Last-Chance Online Qualifier for athletes who underperformed, were hurt, or were unable to compete.
Five men and five women qualified through that year’s LCQ.
The LCQ was then re-introduced in 2021, another online competition. This time, there were four workouts, where two men and two women who just missed qualifying via Semifinals could earn their invites to that summer’s Games.
- The following year also saw a Last-Chance Qualifier after the Semifinals were complete, which, once again, two men and two women used to qualify for the Games.
This was the last time we saw an LCQ, as it wasn’t offered in either 2023 or last season.
The Big Picture
The season hasn’t even begun yet, and it is already shaping up to be a rollercoaster. That being said, it seems we might finally at least know exactly what it’s going to take to qualify for the 2025 CrossFit Games.
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Featured image: Sara Ines Chew
