Opinion | 2020 CrossFit Games: cancel, postpone, go online or start fresh?

Madison, Wisconsin is still set to host the competition, starting July 29, but is this really feasible given the current pandemic?

Following Tokyo 2020’s lead and holding out as long as possible is not a sound decision

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Can CrossFit feasibly put on a competition in the US in July? Photo: CrossFit Games

Published: 4:41pm, 13 Apr 2020Updated: 9:20pm, 13 Apr 2020

Not to sound alarmist, but the 2020 CrossFit Games sounds like a powder keg for the coronavirus.

The tiny city of Madison, Wisconsin, which lies west of Milwaukee, has a little more than a quarter of a million people. Every year since 2017 it’s hosted the CrossFit Games out of the Alliant Energy Center and a few other locations.

This year, from July 29 to August 2, CrossFit still plans on powering ahead despite an unprecedented global pandemic, which has shut down virtually every major sporting league or event, and brought the planet to a screeching halt.

Madison’s population swells with competitors and fans every year for the Games while locals, Airbnb and Uber make a killing. Hotels book up months in advance, and local restaurants and coffee shops designed for a certain level of foot traffic get flooded with CrossFit’s ever-expanding community from all over the world.

Competitors from every continent are planning on attending the 2020 CrossFit Games. Photo: Handout

Car rental shops get swarmed and grocery stores see an uptake in sales as hungry competitors, accompanied by coaches, trainers, friends and family, stock up for the four-day tournament. Many of the elite athletes arrive more than a week before to get settled in, acclimatise, shake off jet lag and gear up for the big event.