Reebok latest brand to cut ties with CrossFit after chief executive's George Floyd tweet

A number of sponsors and CrossFit athletes have spoken out against Greg Glassman

A number of brands including Reebok have cut ties with CrossFit after CEO Greg Glassman's comments. Unsplash

Reebok is the latest major sponsor to cut ties with CrossFit after company boss Greg Glassman posted a tweet making light of George Floyd's death.

The sportswear company released a statement saying, "Our partnership with CrossFit HQ comes to an end later this year. Recently, we have been in discussions regarding a new agreement, however, in light of recent events, we have made the decision to end our partnership with CrossFit HQ" but added that they still supported the CrossFit community. The two had an exclusive 10-year partnership.

Another one of their main sponsors has also spoken out. Rogue, which provides strength training equipment to gyms, has since removed the CrossFit logo from its 2020 Rogue Invitational fitness event and threatened to cease association completely depending on how the fitness brand moves forward.

It wrote on Instagram: "[Glassman's] comments are unacceptable under all conditions. The community is bigger than one person. The movement is stronger than one person. No one should be expected to tolerate anything that keeps us from moving forward as one."

Backlash towards Glassman started after he replied to a tweet by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation that called racism and discrimination "public health issues", tweeting "It's Floyd-19", referring to Floyd, the black man killed by a white police officer in the US, and the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Other CrossFit athletes have also spoken out against Glassman including Rich Froning, who has won the CrossFit Games four times. He wrote to his 1.4 million Instagram followers that the last few days have made it "impossible to stay loyal to leadership who make callous statements that alienate and divide in a time when unity is needed. "

Another CrossFit Games champion Tia-Clair Toomey also stated that she was "incredibly saddened, disappointed and frustrated" and that her future with CrossFit was "unclear" depending on the direction of HQ.

Icelandic CrossFit athlete Katrin Davidsdottir, who won the CrossFit Games in 2015 and 2016, also posted screenshots of Glassman's tweet and email, saying she was "ashamed, disappointed and angry".

Noah Ohlsen, who placed second in last year's competition, announced he would be sitting out this year's games. He wrote on his Instagram: "It's been weighing on me for days. I've consulted many of my closest supporters. All of that said, I've decided that I cannot, in good conscience, compete during this time for a company that hasn't shown themselves to have values that I align with."

Other gyms around the US which have CrossFit affiliations have also started distancing themselves by removing their branding. Petworth Fitness in Washington DC, which used to be known as CrossFit Petwork, wrote: "For a brand that has preached about being 'for all', the deafening silence on current and past issues of racism tells us all we need to know."

It also added that it would donate its annual CrossFit affiliate fee of $3,000 (Dh11,019) to the Black Lives Matter DC and Know Your Rights anti-racist campaign groups.

Shortly after the backlash began, Glassman issued a statement apologising for his comments, stating, “I, CrossFit HQ, and the CrossFit community will not stand for racism. I made a mistake by the words I chose yesterday. My heart is deeply saddened by the pain it has caused. It was a mistake, not racist but a mistake. Floyd is a hero in the black community and not just a victim. I should have been sensitive to that and wasn’t. I apologise for that.”