Of all the changes made to the CrossFit Games schedule and qualification process, the one that seems to have elicited the greatest amount of emotional reaction from the CrossFit community is the introduction of Wildcards.
Four invitations to compete with and against the best CrossFit athletes in the world, free of charge, without ever having competed in the sport.
So, Hunter McIntyre is going to the CrossFit Games.
But he didn’t qualify through a sanctioned event.
Greg Glassman basically offered a “wild card” spot to Hunter McIntyre and he has received his official invite to compete at the 2019 CrossFit Games.
In the history of the CrossFit Games, a wildcard invite like this has never been issued before.
What will CrossFit do next?
Delete their Social Media?
Technically, there are still three more wildcard spots available but we’ve heard no additional information on how or if they will be used.
So who is Hunter?
2x Tough Mudder X World Champion (2017 and 2018)
6x OCR World Champion
4x OCR National Champion (USA)
Undefeated Broken Skull Ranch champion 3 years running.
OK, so he’s a player in the Game.
How does this benefit the CrossFit community?
By giving a wildcard to a big name draw from another sport can only be good for the sport itself.
Increased spectatorship, generated from crossover appeal from fans of said athlete’s previous sport, is an obvious pro.
But the secondary benefit is more important.
Those first-time viewers of the sport are far more likely to join a box.
Is CrossFit HQ is more clever than we think?
Video: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaVuIEkcQkaLKCUfWF2-Nqg
