Oh what a wonderful time of year it is as we look forward to the 2022 CrossFit Games Season Schedule that was recently released. Not only has the sport faced great trials and tribulations throughout the global pandemic, but the 2021 CrossFit Games Season brought up a few new opportunities for athletes to expand their competitive reach. Not only that, but a great of the sport, Mat Fraser, officially retired, while Tia still reigns in that top spot for the women. Let’s dig into what the new year and new season has in store.
The 2022 CrossFit Games Open Has A New Date
A change coming to the new year has to do with the CrossFit Open. Typically held in March (or October for a year or two), the Open will now be held in February, beginning specifically on February 24th, 2022. Registration for the worldwide online qualifier will be open to athletes everywhere beginning January 13th, 2022, which is the earliest Open Registration to date.
Similar to the 2021 schedule though, instead of four consecutive weeks of competition, the 2022 CrossFit Open will be continuing forward with the three-week competition in pursuit of earning a spot on the floor of the 2022 CrossFit Games presented by NOBULL.
2022 Season Schedule & Dates
The Open:
- 22.1 (February 24-28)
- 22.2 (March 3-7)
- 22.3 (March 10-14)
Quarterfinals:
- Individuals (March 24-27)
- Teams (April 7-10)
- Age Groups (April 21-24)
Occupational Games:
- April 21-24
Semifinals:
- Week 1 Individual + Teams (May 20-22)
- Age Group 1 (May 26-29)
- Week 2 Individual + Teams (May 27-29)
- Age Group 2 (June 2-5)
- Adaptive (June 2-5)
- Week 3 Individual + Teams (June 3-5)
- Week 4 Individual + Teams (June 10-12)
Last Chance Online Qualifier:
- Individuals Only (June 29-July 1)
CrossFit Games:
- August 4-7
**Age Group 1 includes: 14-15, 16-17, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49
**Age Group 2 includes: 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65+
2022 CrossFit Open - New Divisions
In addition to the change of the actual Open dates, spectators and athletes alike will witness new divisions that will provide competitive opportunities to previously underserved communities. These additions include two new age groups and two new adaptive divisions. As always, the NOBULL CrossFit Games Open does provide the first step towards qualifying for the next steps in pursuit of the Games.
Individuals In The Open - How To Get To The Games
Whatever class you register to compete in, it is always important to understand who will be selected in the process to move on in the qualifying rounds. For individuals, this begins with selecting the top 10% of competitors (from each continental region) that will be advancing to the quarterfinals, which are also online. After the Open, it gets a little more specific about how many athletes will advance forward. This is broken down by continental region, as well.
Quarter Finals:
- Africa: Top 30 will advance to semi finals
- Asia: Top 30 will advance to semi finals
- Europe: Top 60 will advance to semi finals
- North America Region: Top 120 will advance to semi finals
- Oceania: Top 30 will advance to semi finals
- South America: Top 30 will advance to semi finals
After the online quarter finals, the individual division will narrow even further, giving an opportunity for the last-chance qualifier for any athletes who got squeezed out during semi finals to get squeezed back in right before the games. Check it out:
Semi Finals:
- Africa: Top man & woman will advance
- Asia: Top 2 will advance
- Europe: Top 5 will advance
- North American Region: Top 5 will advance
- Oceana: Top 3 will advance
- South America: Top 2 will advance
CrossFit Games:
- Top 40 athletes will compete at the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games
Teams In The Open - How To Get To The Games
Teams are rising in popularity throughout the sport of CrossFit and for good reason. They provide a ton of camaraderie, they’re full of energy, competitive, and with new workouts/events evolving, they’re getting more and more fun to watch. If you’re looking to try and make it to the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games on a Team, you’re going to have to start by registering and competing in the Open where there will the top 25% from each continental regional will advance. Let’s see how you can qualify further after that.
Quarter Finals:
- Africa: Top 20 will advance to semi finals
- Asia: Top 20 will advance to semi finals
- Europe: Top 40 will advance to semi finals
- North America Region: Top 80 will advance to semi finals
- Oceania: Top 20 will advance to semi finals
- South America: Top 20 will advance to semi finals
Next up there are semi finals, but unlike the individual group, teams do not have a last chance qualifier. So, that means the pressure is on to perform at this last step before making it to the Games. Here’s how that will break down:
Semifinals:
- Africa: Top Team will advance
- Asia: Top 2 will advance
- Europe: Top 5 will advance
- North American Region: Top 5 will advance
- Oceana: Top 3 will advance
- South America: Top 2 will advance
CrossFit Games:
- Top 38 athletes will compete at the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games
2022 CrossFit Season Age Group Divisions
As mentioned earlier, there are a couple new groupings in the age group divisions that will take effect for the first time during the 2022 season.
CrossFit Competitive Age Groups
- 14-15
- 16-17
- 35-39
- 40-44
- 45-49
- 50-54
- 55-59
- 60-64
- 65+
For the Open, the top 10% of competitors from each age group will advance onward to quarterfinals. Then, of those competitors, the top 30 from each age group will continue on to the semifinals. Semifinals is where the running gets pretty lean, taking only the top 10 from each age group divisions who will ultimately earn their spot to compete at the 2022 CrossFit Games, yearning for that title of the Fittest On Earth in each group.
2022 CrossFit Open Adaptive Divisions
The adaptive division is growing rapidly and will be expanding the opportunities for competitive athletes who want to earn a shot at becoming the fittest on earth for their division. Previously, there were only a few divisions, really limiting how many athletes or abilities could compete. At the same time though, the athletes who have competed in previous years have truly paved the way for other athletes, and the new divisions are a major milestone for the sport.
The Adaptive Groups Are:
- Intellectual
- Lower Extremity
- Neuromuscular
- Upper Extremity
- Seated With Hip Function
- Seated Without Hip Function
- Short Stature
- Vision
Starting in the open, the top 20 athletes across all adaptive divisions will be able to compete at the semi finals. At semifinals, the fittest on earth in the vision, intellectual, seated with hip function, seated without hip function, and short stature divisions will be crowned. At the same stage, the top 5 athletes in the neuromuscular, lower extremity, and upper extremity divisions will advance onward to the CrossFit Games. At the Games, viewers will see the top 5 athletes from these qualifying groups compete for the ultimate prize, being crowned the fittest on earth. The occupational Games will take place on April 21-24th, 2022, with the CrossFit Games August 4-7, 2022.
2022 CrossFit Games Season Schedule: Takeaway
We don’t know about you, but we’re beyond excited for another incredible year in the CrossFit space, witnessing individuals and athletes push the bounds of their potential. Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter and choose Swolverine as your #1 supplement choice when it comes to fueling your health and fitness.
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