The 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games is scheduled for July 27 through Aug. 1, 2021, and will feature the biggest names in the competitive functional fitness space. Four-time reigning champion Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr will be in attendance in Madison, WI to defend against the likes of 2020 CrossFit Games finalists Katrin Davíðsdóttir, Kari Pearce, Haley Adams, Brooke Wells, and the return of 2012 Fittest Woman on Earth® Annie Thorisdottir.
Additionally, a new Fittest Man on Earth is guaranteed to be crowned as Mat Fraser retired from competitive CrossFit after winning his fifth consecutive Games title in 2020. 2020 Games bronze medalist Justin Medeiros, finalist Jeffrey Adler, and 2019 Games runner-up Noah Ohlsen will also be back to fight for the crown.
2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games Coverage
Here is how you can watch coverage of the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games:
- Live Streams — live streams will be available on CrossFit’s social media platforms: YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, and Pluto TV. Live updates will also be made on games.crossfit.com.
- Broadcast — there will be a live two-hour broadcast on CBS Sports and Paramount+ from 2-4 p.m. EST on the final day of the competition (Aug. 1). The CrossFit Games will return to the CBS Sports Network in 2021. Coverage will run from Thursday, July 29, through Sunday, Aug. 1, from 11 p.m.-12 a.m. ET.
- The basic plan with ads for Paramount+ is $4.99 per month. The ad-free subscription costs $9.99 per month.
- Six hours of additional highlights will be aired on CBS Sports during competition week.
The 2021 CrossFit Games will feature over 600 athletes across 27 different divisions competing at the Alliant Energy Center. There will be 40 men and 40 women competing as individuals and 38 teams competing in the Rx’d divisions. Spectators will be allowed — tickets are on sale on Ticketmaster.com.
2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games Watch Schedule
- Tuesday, July 27 — 1-4:50 p.m. EST (CrossFit Games YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch)
- Wednesday, July 28 — 9:00 a.m. – 7:05 p.m. EST (CrossFit Games YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, and Pluto TV)
- Thursday, July 29 — 9:00 a.m. – 7:15 p.m. EST (CrossFit Games YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, and Pluto TV)
- Thursday, July 29 — 11 p.m. -12 a.m. EST (CBS Sports Network)
- Friday, July 30 — 9:45 a.m. – 8:45 p.m. EST (CrossFit Games YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, and Pluto TV)
- Friday, July 30 — 11 p.m. -12 a.m. EST. (CBS Sports Network)
- Saturday, July 31 — 10:45 a.m. – 7:15 p.m. EST (CrossFit Games YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, and Pluto TV)
- Saturday, July 31 — 11 p.m. -12 a.m. EST. (CBS Sports Network)
- Sunday, August 1 — 9:35 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. EST (CrossFit Games YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, and Pluto TV)
- Sunday, August 1 — 2-4 p.m. EST. (CBS Television Network)
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2021 CrossFit Games Cut Schedule
On Saturday, July 24, 2021, CrossFit announced the cut schedule for the 2021 Games. It is as follows:
- Wednesday, July 28 — All 40 men and women will compete.
- Friday, July 30 — All 40 men and women will compete.
- Saturday, July 31 — 30 men and women will compete in the first event. After the first event on Saturday, 20 men and women will remain for the day.
- Sunday, August 1 — The same 20 men and women left from Saturday will compete for the rest of the Games.
2021 CrossFit Games Semifinals
All of the competitors competing at the 2021 Games earned their spot via one of the 10 Semifinals or the Last Chance Qualifier:
- Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge — Washington D.C., U.S.
- Torian Pro — Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Granite Games — Minnesota, U.S.
- CrossFit Fittest In Capetown — Cape Town, South Africa
- CrossFit Lowland Throwdown — Apeldoorn, Netherlands
- Brazil CrossFit Championship — São Paulo, Brazil
- CrossFit German Throwdown — Berlin, Germany
- West Coast Classic — California, U.S.
- CrossFit Atlas Games — Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- CrossFit Asia Invitational — South Korea
- Last-Chance Qualifier
Additionally, this year’s Games will feature the top five men and top five women from the Open in three adaptive divisions — Upper Extremity, Lower Extremity, and Neuromuscular.
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[Related: International Athletes Can Officially Travel to US for 2021 CrossFit Games]
Samuel Kwant
The majority of the podium in the Men’s division is guaranteed to be different at the 2021 Games. In addition to Fraser’s retirement, the 2020 Games runner-up Samuel Kwant did not qualify for the Games following a breathing issue during the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge Semifinal.
I started having trouble breathing during exercise…we thought it was just seasonal allergies but it was clearly more.
Before the competition, Kwant spent time in urgent care due to a hives outbreak. He was on medication that left him “feeling super drained” during the competition. Despite considering it, he stayed in the competition as to not “go down without a fight.” Although he will miss the 2021 Games, Kwant intends to use the time off to solve the “chronic illness” that led to his hives outbreak.
And So the Games Begin
The events for the 2021 CrossFit Games have not yet been released. However, CrossFit Games Director Dave Castro has said that the competition’s first event will involve swimming and paddling.
Will Toomey-Orr continue her dominance on the world stage? Who will rise above the rest to be the first Fittest Man on Earth, not named Mat Fraser in half a decade? We’ll have to tune in to find out.
Feature image: photo via @haleyadamsss on Instagram
