Should Taiwan and Hong Kong have their own CrossFit champions instead of competing for China?

Former CEO and founder Greg Glassman ushered in sweeping overhaul to CrossFit Games in 2019, introducing ‘country champions’
Although recognised separately by the International Olympic Committee, Hong Kong and Taiwan athletes compete for China in CrossFit

Patrick Blennerhassett

Published: 8:00am, 13 Oct 2021

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The story of how CrossFit’s “country champions” came about is one of the sport’s massive metamorphosis, which took place in 2020, and the lasting impact it had on its athletes.

In Autumn 2018, then-CEO and founder Greg Glassman announced a host of changes to the sport and its marquee event, the CrossFit Games. Regionals – a staple of the competitive calendar – were gone, and a number of “Sanctionals” would take their place.

“Country champions” would also be crowned, which meant that if you could win the CrossFit Open (a five-week online competition which serves as the first qualifying event of the season) then you could go to the 2019 CrossFit Games and compete against the best of the best for your nation.

The move was a disaster. The 2019 CrossFit Games had 141 male and 129 female competitors, while a number of high-profile athletes from CrossFit strongholds such as the US, Canada and Australia had to stay home. Then came the cuts, as the vast majority of athletes – who had no business being at the Games in the first place – were axed after one or two events and relegated to the stands for the rest of the competition.

Glassman, who was ousted in 2020 in a flurry of racism and sexism allegations, seemed to have good intentions with the changes, but it clearly irked CrossFit Games mastermind Dave Castro. Glassman said the idea was to move away from the Games as the linchpin of CrossFit and focus more on promoting a healthy lifestyle, while working to expand the sport internationally.

Ruei Hung Tsai-Jui, a CrossFit athlete from Taiwan. Photo: Handout

A CrossFit representative also clarified why Hong Kong and Taiwan would fall under China when it came to country champions, given the sport was following “US foreign policy”. According to the US Department of State, the “United States does not support Taiwan independence”. However, “maintaining strong, unofficial relations with Taiwan is a major US goal, in line with the US desire to further peace and stability in Asia”.

It turned out neither of China’s representatives that went to the 2019 CrossFit Games were mainlanders. Hong Kong’s Ant Haynes, who came 27th, carried the Chinese flag during the opening ceremony in Madison, Wisconsin. He was joined by Ruei Hung Tsai-jui, a Taiwanese athlete who was the top female from China. In an interview with the Post in May of 2019 before the games, Hung said if asked at the Games where she was from, she “would proudly say I come from Taiwan”.

Taiwan’s CrossFitters ‘angry’ at having to carry China’s flag

Beijing considers Taiwan its territory that must return to the mainland fold, by force if necessary.

The following season, Chinese female competitor Chen Aichan, who is from the mainland, won the 2020 CrossFit Open, which crowned her the “country champion” for China. In an interview with the Post, she said was willed to victory after she saw Hung “refuse” to hold the Chinese flag along with Haynes during the 2019 CrossFit Games.

Hung said the whole thing was a misunderstanding.

“The Games organiser already assigned Ant [Haynes] to hold the flag with his name on the list, and they had never requested me to hold it, so where did I get the chance to refuse the opportunity? I have no idea where she got the story from,” she said.

CrossFit athlete Bobo Chen Aichan, who is based out of Shanghai. Photo: Handout

Haynes, who had been China’s top male in the past two years, said only one person from each nation was selected to hold the flag, something that was designated before the Games started.

“Yes, Ruei didn’t really want to hold it, but she wasn’t supposed to anyway,” he said, noting all countries with more than one representative had to choose who would hold the flag, a common sight at various international sporting events. “She is Taiwanese at the end of the day.”

Hong Kong competes as “Hong Kong, China” under the International Olympic Committee’s rules, and Taiwan as “Chinese Taipei”, but there has been long-standing controversy concerning Taiwanese competitors and teams competing internationally, which spilled into Tokyo 2020.

Zhu Yusen, Taiwan CrossFitter. Photo: Handout

For the 2021 season, Chen won again, as did mainland men’s athlete Zhou Zhenhua, overtaking Haynes. But neither went to the Games as the 2020 season was heavily restricted because of the pandemic, and a new CEO, Eric Roza, was also brought in that year. CrossFit still crowns “country champions” for every nation that puts forth a competitor, but it does not guarantee a berth at the Games.

However, Taiwan’s unofficial “fittest man” Zhu Yusen, recently said their CrossFitters are upset they fall under China and have reached out to CrossFit to change the jurisdiction, but have yet to get a response.

CrossFit’s silence on this issue is understandable – it is a geopolitical mess with no real answer. If CrossFit allows Taiwanese athletes to compete under their flag, it will surely irk China’s CrossFit community, which Roza has pegged as a massive emerging market.

The problem is that CrossFit is booming in Taiwan, and has stagnated on the mainland, and the chances of a Taiwanese athlete snatching one of the two titles next year is a serious possibility.

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