Reebok & Athletes Drop CrossFit After CEO’s George Floyd Tweet
Reebok is among a growing number of brands and athletes distancing themselves from CrossFit in light of a recent tweet by the fitness brand's CEO, Greg Glassman.
Glassman tweeted “It’s FLOYD-19” to a message from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which stated that racism and discrimination are public health issues.
Glassman's insensitive reference to Floyd's murder was immediately flagged on Twitter and brands and athletes have stepped up to distance themselves from the brand and its CEO.
Reebok told The Morning Chalk Up, “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.”
Meanwhile, Rogue Fitness has announced that it will remove the CrossFit Logo from its 2020 event and will work with the CrossFit Games leadership to determine the best path forward.
Chandler Smith, one of the CrossFit's most prominent black athletes, said he will not compete in the 2020 CrossFit Games until changes are made. Other figures within the sport, including Mat Fraser, Smith, and Noah Ohlsen, have distanced themselves from the CEO, while the four-time winner of the CrossFit Games, Rich Froning, has also publicly denounced Glassman's comment.
Glassman offered an apology for his comments on Twitter, in which he claimed that he had made a mistake but denied that it was racist.
Thus far, Reebok is the largest company associated with CrossFit to distance itself from the fitness brand.