Following a completely virtual first stage, the 2020 CrossFit Games continue in Aromas, California. The top five men and top five women will head to Director of the Games Dave Castro’s family ranch for three brutal days of competition, part of which will air on CBS Sports. Here’s when the events will take place and become available for viewers at home.
CrossFit HQ sent out a press release on Tuesday that detailed the broadcast schedule. The Games will officially begin on Friday, Oct. 23 at 8 a.m. PT. There are four scheduled broadcast blocks that will take place on opening day, starting at 8 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. CrossFit will provide coverage of the events on Pluto TV, games.crossfit.com, and the company’s Facebook and YouTube channels.
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The Games continue on Saturday, Oct. 24, with three scheduled blocks of events. The first, which starts at 10 a.m. PT, will air on CBS, as well as the aforementioned streaming options. The next two events, starting at 1:20 p.m. and 4 p.m., will only be available on the streaming platforms.
The Games will end on Sunday with three scheduled time blocks to help determine the fittest athletes in the male and female divisions. The broadcasts at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. will all air on the streaming platforms. Additionally, CBS Sports Network will televise two 30-minute preview shows leading into the CrossFit Games, as well as a two-hour documentary airing later in the fall.
Four-time champion Mat Fraser tops the list of male athletes as he strives to make history with a fifth gold medal. Veterans in Noah Ohlsen (second place in 2019) and Samuel Kwant (four-time Games athlete) will join him. Jeffrey Adler and Justin Medeiros will round out the top five as they look to reach the podium for the very first time.
The female side of the competition, on the other hand, features multiple Games veterans. Three-time champion Tia-Clair Toomey is the favorite heading toward the competition, but two-time champion Katrin Tanja Davidsdottir will push for another gold medal. Brooke Wells and Kari Pearce have not reached the podium during their previous trips to the Games, but both will provide serious competition. Finally, Haley Adams will return to the Games for the second time after finishing sixth overall as a rookie in 2019.
Prior to the first event on Friday, Games athletes will have to head down to Aromas, California and take COVID-19 tests. They will remain in their respective rooms until receiving the results. If they test negative, they can move forward and prepare for Castro’s tests.
With just over a week remaining until the Games start, the 10 athletes have no idea what the events will be. Castro has not unveiled anything beyond a tease saying that 2020’s Games will be the hardest ever and that the athletes will do the 2007 CrossFit Games “and then some” during the first day. This tease means that there will be some form of a trail run, a chipper consisting of a row, pull-ups and weightlifting. They will also likely have to do the CrossFit Total, which consists of finding a one-rep max on the deadlift, back squat and strict shoulder press.
