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The 10 Most Impactful Stories of 2019

December 31, 2019 by
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As we cap off another big year in CrossFit, it feels like a lot has happened. CrossFit left Facebook and Instagram, then came back-ish, there were two CrossFit Opens with lots more penalties, Jillian Michaels attacked CrossFit, a lot of athletes tested positive for PEDs, a CrossFit Games teen athlete passed away, Kara Saunders returned to competition showing the world what fit mamas can do, CrossFit’s legal battles with the NSCA continued, CrossFit changed their website and started producing WOD videos featuring old people lifting antifreeze in grandma’s living room, and the Games doled out a wildcard to an OCR athlete.

Some of the stories above set new traffic records — all told we capped off more than 7 million hits on last year’s stories alone — but here are the ones we think had the biggest impact on the community as a whole, regardless of traffic.

  1. Deep Inside the Laboratory Testing CrossFit Games’ Athletes for PEDs — IMPACT ???
  2. CrossFit Shutters Facebook, Instagram Accounts Amid Data Privacy Concerns — VIRAL ???
  3. Can athletes really make a living doing CrossFit? My experience says, yes. (Op-Ed by Stacie Tovar) — IMPACT ???
  4. CrossFit CEO Resigns — VIRAL ???
  5. In Signing Thorisdottir, Nuun Brings Pregnancy Protections Debate to the CrossFit World — IMPACT ???
  6. Elite Athletes Call for Improvements to HQ’s Video Review Amid Devin Ford Controversy — IMPACT ???
  7. Saturday Cuts Rip Through Games Veterans — VIRAL ???
  8. CrossFit Removes Footwear Restrictions at the CrossFit Games — IMPACT ???
  9. An Open Letter to Everyone Doing the Open Without “Doing” The Open (Op-Ed by Niki Brazier) — VIRAL ???
  10. “I don’t find muscular women attractive,” one wife’s tale. — IMPACT ???

…and because it broke the single-day traffic record and fooled oh so many of you, including Jess Griffith, Rich Froning Accepts Individual Invite to Compete at 2019 CrossFit Games.

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