Mayhem Madness Canceled Due to Pandemic Travel Restrictions
In an Instagram post on Tuesday afternoon, Rich Froning announced the cancelation of the upcoming Mayhem Madness team competition. Citing “international travel restrictions and other limitations imposed by COVID-19” the cancellation effectively ends the 2020 CrossFit season for the top CrossFit teams on Earth and leaves the season without a champion in the team division.
One big thing: After announcing the postponement of the competition nearly three weeks ago to August 23, the United States has seen an almost daily increase in COVID-19 cases. This has led not only to increased travel restrictions to the US from overseas but also between states.
- Four of the nine teams that received an invitation to Mayhem Madness through Sanctionals were affected by travel restrictions. A fifth team, the Canadians, declined the invitation they earned through the online qualifier due to travel restrictions.
- “We aren’t going to be able to do it basically, we’re sorry” commented Froning on Instagram. “Thank you guys for all your support.”
- Mayhem Madness was created after Dave Castro announced that the team division would be eliminated for the 2020 CrossFit Games.
- “The four of us ( including Chandler Smith, Roy Gamboa and Andrea Nisler) are saddened by today’s announcement,” said Taylor Williamson of P10 Performance Misfit. “The opportunity for a team competition was something we have been training for and looking forward to for months. Although we are devastated by the news of the cancelation. We fully support and stand by Rich and CrossFit Mayhem’s decision, as we continue to be a part of the solution to our national crisis and work towards a healthier community across the globe.”
- Major sports leagues have started their delayed seasons the last few weeks and they have continued to be affected by the virus despite taking extreme precautions. Just this week Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins had a number of their players test positive for the virus leading to the postponement of not just their season but also that of the other teams due to possible contact.
A “Silver-lining:” Froning did announce that Reebok, one of the main sponsors of the competition, would still reward shoes to all the qualifying teams.
- Shoes will also be awarded to the winners of all the five workouts in the “Scaled” division.
The bottom line: Mayhem Madness now joins the long list of CrossFit events that have been canceled due to the pandemic starting with Sanctionals. And, with California seeing a continuous rise in numbers of positive cases and numerous counties within the state once again shutting down and imposing restrictions, including Monterey Bay, the county in which the CrossFit Ranch is zoned, the future of this year’s Games remains in doubt.
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