CrossFit Games veteran Cole Sager won’t participate in the 2025 Games season.
Sager, 34, announced the news in a video on his Instagram page, where he quickly pivoted to say, “This isn’t a retirement post.”
It’s just a formal announcement that he won’t be participating in the CrossFit Games season, potentially leaving the door open for other competitions.
- “This is more like a ‘I’ll see you around’ post.’ I’m not done with athletics; I’m just done with the CrossFit Games,” Sager said in his post.
Sager is one of the only athletes to amass more than 10 Games appearances (he has 11).
He has never been on the podium but has demonstrated impeccable resilience and a tremendous love for the sport.
In his post, Sager clarifies that his decision not to participate has nothing to do with CrossFit HQ or the 2024 CrossFit Games.
While he states his decision isn’t about CrossFit HQ, he acknowledges that he’s not happy with the “scope of the land right now.” In particular, he highlighted the relationship between HQ and the handling of athletes, but he didn’t elaborate.
- “I’m just done,” he said.
He noted that he wants HQ to succeed and hopes it will improve.
Additionally, Sager mentioned having different priorities. He is a husband and father of two young children who recently ruptured his Achilles tendon.
- “I just don’t have the desire to commit to the CrossFit Games season anymore, and I believe if somebody’s not wholeheartedly into something, they just shouldn’t be doing it,” Sager said.
Just by chance, Sager’s Achilles injury coincided with his 4-year-old son going to preschool, which he says was a wake-up call.
- “In that time, I watched his language explode and his consciousness come alive, and I just realized that it’s time to start saying no to training so that I can start saying yes to more of the needs of the family,” he added.
Throughout his career, Sager was coached by Ben Bergeron, the founder of CompTrain and an icon in the sport, known for coaching Games legends Chris Spaeller, Katrin Davidsdottir, and Brooke Wells, among many others. Sager went on to take over as president and head coach of CompTrain when Bergeron stepped down from that role.
This season marks the first without many iconic figures in the sport, such as Brent Fikowski, Pat Vellner, Laura Horvath, and perhaps Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr, among others. All of them have chosen to sit out for various reasons, including retirement in Fikowski’s case.
It goes without saying that the 2024 Games were the catalyst for change following the death of Lazar Ðukić on the first day of the event. While several athletes haven’t stated that it’s the reason for their absence this season, it’s clear that it has had a major impact on the sport as a whole.
One last thing: Sager says he plans to post more about his decision soon, and his followers can stay tuned for that on his Instagram page.
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Featured Image: @colesager35 / Instagram
