Tragedy struck at the Cholula Games in San Andrés Cholula, Mexico, on May 2 when athlete Nayeli Clemente went into cardiac distress during the first event of the competition, which included an outdoor “Team Pyramid Run” in the heat.
After being attended to by Dr. Daniela Castruita, a spectator who was not part of the competition’s medical team but spoke with the Morning Chalk Up, Clemente was taken to the hospital in critical condition but later passed away.
Remind Me
A CrossFit Licensed Event is a competition where organizers can use the “CrossFit Licensed Event icon” and list their event on the CrossFit Games website.
- To become a CrossFit Licensed Event, the organizer must have a CrossFit Level 1 certificate or higher and own or be sponsored by a CrossFit affiliate in good standing.
- Other requirements include proof of event insurance, a participation waiver signed by all competitors, staff, volunteers, and judges who have passed the CrossFit Judges Course. The annual fee is $1,000 USD.
- Additionally, CrossFit’s “Licensed Event FAQ” notes that the “Licensee is responsible for all areas of the competition inclusive of health and safety, qualifying standards, setup, rankings, prizes, and funding.”
More details can be found here.
A CrossFit spokesperson provided the following statement when we reached out for a comment:
“We are deeply saddened to learn about the passing of athlete Nayeli Clemente at a third-party licensed event in Mexico. Our hearts go out to Nayeli’s family and friends, and especially her CrossFit teammates and community.”
The Big Picture
This is a developing story, and despite some social media buzz over the weekend, there are still a lot of details we don’t know. Our thoughts and prayers are with Clemente’s family, teammates, friends, and the Mexican CrossFit community.
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Featured image: Jorge Ahmad Sanchez Flores, @jorgeahmad / Instagram
