CrossFit Games Cuts: A Brief History
The 2024 CrossFit Games cut schedule was released earlier in July, giving athletes, coaches, and fans a glimpse into what will unfold on August 8.
This came as no surprise to many, as cuts have become commonplace at the CrossFit Games, both in the Individual and Team divisions.
- “While some years have featured dramatic cuts, six of the 18 Games so far haven’t held any cuts at all.
Remind me: The CrossFit Games started to cut the field in 2009 at its original home in Aromas, CA. In the early years, these cuts never created much of a stir.
- In fact, Games cuts didn’t receive much media attention or fan backlash until they were re-instituted in 2019 after a four-year hiatus. That year introduced extremely deep and early cuts to cull the field from 141 individual men and 129 women down to just 10.
2024 Individual cuts: This year, athletes will be met with the following cut schedule:
- Thursday: 40 men and 40 women compete
- Friday: 40 men and 40 women compete
- Saturday morning: 40 men and 40 women compete
- Saturday evening: 30 men and 30 women compete
- Sunday: 20 men and 20 women compete
[Related: Best Cross-Training Shoes]
Two total cuts will take place. According to CrossFit GM of Sport Dave Castro, one will be on Saturday morning following Event 7, “Chad,” where both Individual fields will be cut from 40 to 30 athletes. The next will take place after the competition ends on Saturday, where each field will be cut once again from 30 to 20.
- Teams will also face cuts, with 30 teams competing on Thursday and Friday, followed by 20 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday.
Why cut the field at all?: CrossFit’s Competition Director, Adrian Bozman, noted in 2022:
- “Rather than cut away tests or change the nature of some of those tests, we decided that we would rather trim away some of the fields at that point so that the test can still be robust.”
One can assume that the sentiment remains the same two years later.
The athletes’ perspective: Athletes have shared their frustration and disappointment with the cuts through the years, with many of them belonging to the Professional Fitness Athletes’ Association (PFAA).
Leading up to the 2023 Games, the PFAA conducted a survey with athletes, coaches, and agents addressing various topics in hopes of garnering support from CrossFit HQ and keeping lines of communication open and effective.
While CrossFit and the PFAA saw eye to eye on many of the topics, they disagreed when it came to athlete cuts at the Games.
- “Every athlete I have spoken to that’s competing (at the Games) and most coaches as well, we don’t want cuts at all,” said eight-time Games competitor Brent Fikowski, one of the PFAA’s Executive Committee members in an interview with Morning Chalk Up last year.
This year’s schedule differs slightly from last year in that the entire field will begin the competition day on Saturday. In 2023, the first cut took place Friday night.
Like 2023, though, this year’s competition will end on Sunday with the top 20 men and women.
This is the third time the cut has been to 20 for the final day, as this occurred in 2021 as well.
- In 2014, 2015, and 2022, the cut ended in 30 athletes.
- In 2009, the cut ended in 16 athletes.
- In 2011 and 2012, the cut ended in 12 athletes.
- In 2019, the cut ended in 10 athletes.
- In 2020, during the COVID season, there was only one cut at the end of Stage 1. Both fields were cut to five athletes who competed in person at The Ranch.
The bottom line: Athletes who fall below the cutline on Saturday and Sunday will retain access to the event so they can choose to remain and cheer for their fellow competitors.
While Saturday and Sunday will see a smaller field of competitors, it’s no surprise to fans of the sport, and the cut schedule announcement has become part and parcel of the lead-up to the Games.
More From the Morning Chalk Up
- Our 4 Favorite Friday Night Lights Moments at the CrossFit Games
- Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr and Jeffrey Adler Announced as First Athletes to Compete at TYR Wodapalooza SoCal
- Who’s Missing From the 2024 CrossFit Games Roster?
Featured image: Crispy Dudes