Four athletes sanctioned in CrossFit Open

CrossFit’s latest discipline story is really about the weak spot in an online competition. The Open is supposed to be a worldwide qualifier anyone can enter, b(thebarbellspin.com)ted video submissions and two for lying about age when they signed up. (thebarbellspin.com) Angelo Di Milo. Both were penalized for edited video submissions during the 2026 CrossFit Open, and both received 4-year sanctions. Two other at(games.crossfit.com)tes, but CrossFit did not release their names. (thebarbellspin.com) ### Why is edited video such a big deal? Because the Open is online, video is often the proof. Athletes complete workouts during a submission window, then scores are judged, validated, and ra(thebarbellspin.com) workout was continuous all become questionable. (games.crossfit.com) ### What was the Angelo Di Milo case? This is the detail that makes the story feel less abstract. Di Milo competed in the men’s 50-54 division and posted scores that were elite across all three workouts — 28(thebarbellspin.com)ts and 2nd worldwide in his division before the sanction. His submitted videos were flagged for review, and he later deleted them from public view. (thebarbellspin.com) ### And Ilse Boevink? Boevink was already the more visible case because her 26.3 video becam(games.crossfit.com)rboard, but with that workout score removed, while the sanction stretches much further than a single invalidated result. A 4-year penalty is basically CrossFit saying this was not a technical mistake — it was a serious integrity breach. (thebarbellspin.com) ### What about the birthdate cases? Those are simpler, but still serious. CrossFit said one athlete entered the 14-15 (thebarbellspin.com)n advance. In other words, this was not just bad paperwork — it changed the competitive category itself. (thebarbellspin.com) ### How does CrossFit catch this stuff? Partly through review, partly through tips. CrossFit’s rules page lays out how Open scores, judging, and video validat(thebarbellspin.com) a mix of official checks and community watchdogging. (games.crossfit.com) ### Why does this matter beyond four athletes? Because the Open is not just a participation event — it is the front door to the season. The 2026 Open ran from Feb. 26 to March 16, and those results shape who moves deeper into CrossFit’s competition ladder. If top scores are fake, invites and rankings can get distorted long before the Games floor is even in sight. (games.crossfit.com) ### So what’s the bottom line? The headline is four sanctions, but the real story is trust. Online qualifying lets CrossFit run a massive global competition. The catch is that scale only works if athletes believe the leaderboard is real — and if CrossFit is willing to make examples of people who try to game it. (thebarbellspin.com)