The second In-Person Qualifying Event occurs this weekend in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Thirty men and 30 women will compete for four tickets (two each) to the 2025 CrossFit Games.
Remind me: The Mayhem Classic granted the first four invitations to the 2025 Games earlier this month. The recipients were Austin Hatfield, Colten Mertens, Fee Saghafi, and Abbie Domit.
The complete 30-person Games rosters for men and women will be assembled as follows:
- In-Affiliate Semifinals — 11 men and women.
- In-Person Qualifying Events (10 competitions) — 18 men and women (each event offers one or two Games tickets).
- Last Chance Qualifier — one man and one woman.
As we prepare for three action-packed days in Brazil, here are five things to know:
How They Qualified
The top 30 men and 30 women from the Open, also citizens of a South American country, received invitations to Copa Sur.
To qualify for the Games, athletes must finish in the top one percent worldwide in the Open. All the competitors participating this weekend meet that requirement.
- Check out the full men’s and women’s roster to see who’s competing.
How to Watch
The event will run from Friday, April 18, through Sunday, April 20. You can watch the live stream on the Copa Sur YouTube channel.
- Follow along on the full leaderboard as the athletes compete in six events over the course of three days.
The workouts have been announced, including two we saw at the Mayhem Classic: “Heavy Isabel” and the final event — 30-calorie echo bike, 30 bar muscle-ups, and 30-calorie bike.
Copa Sur is One of Four “Regionals”
Of the 10 total In-Person Qualifying Events, four have regional restrictions.
- The Syndicate Crown is limited to North America East
- The Fittest Experience is North America West
- The Rebel Renegade Games is restricted to Africa, the UAE, and the Gulf countries.
- Copa Sur is, of course, limited to the South American region.
Two men and two women will qualify from each event, except for the Rebel Renegade Games, which will qualify one each to Albany.
Gui Malheiros is Not Competing
The Brazilian superstar announced he would not participate in the CrossFit season after the Open. He’s focused on the World Fitness Project.
- Malheiros competed at his home gym during the Mayhem Classic, where he won “Heavy Isabel” and finished sixth overall.
Malheiros would be the favorite to take the top spot, although it’s not a sure thing. Kaique Cerveny, who qualified for the Games in 2023, will also be absent from the competition.
Nicolás Bedon placed 10th in the worldwide Open but seems focused on the In-Affiliate Semifinals. His spot was backfilled, along with two others who declined their invitations.
Many men with solid resumes are still vying for the top, including Kalyan Souza, Bruno Marins, and Augustin Richelme — all with Games experience.
- Richelme has qualified three times. Souza and Marins were there last year.
Watch out for Benjamin Gutierrez. He finished fourth in the past two years at Copa Sur and will fight for one of those tickets.
A South American Rookie Will Qualify in the Women’s Division
Only one woman on the 2025 Copa Sur roster has been to the Games as an individual—María Quintero qualified as Colombia’s national champion in 2019 and finished in 60th place (out of 129 women). With two tickets available, this situation guarantees we will see at least one rookie qualify this weekend.
Emily Andrade finished fourth at Copa Sur last year, missing qualification by one spot. The three women who placed ahead of her — Victoria Campos, Julia Kato, and Andrea Pinheiro — are not competing this year. The top South American in the Open was Aline Cabral, who ranked 15th at the 2024 Copa Sur.
The Bottom Line
The CrossFit season is in full swing. By the end of this weekend, we will know more than 10 percent of the total Games roster.
The next In-Person Qualifying Event following Copa Sur will be Wodland Fest in Málaga, Spain, from April 25 to 27.
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Featured Image: @cfcopasur / Instagram
