The Dubai Fitness Championship, now the Dubai CrossFit Championship (DCC), is the first CrossFit-sanctioned event in the world that will send winners of the individual and team competitions to the CrossFit Games. Competitors, including many Games winners and athletes, have flocked to the United Arab Emirates since 2012 to compete at the high-caliber competition. Here’s what we know so far about the DCC this year:
Previous winners can bypass the online qualifier:
The Dubai CrossFit Championship sent out invitations to all previous winners to compete in December without having to go through the typical online qualification workouts. So far, we know Mat Fraser has accepted this invitation. Previous winners, including Noah Ohlsen, Bjorgvin Karl Gudmundsson, Annie Thorisdottir and Sara Sigmundsdottir have until October 7 to accept the invitation.
The first online qualifier has been released:
Those who aren’t previous winners, must complete three online qualifier workouts over the course of three weeks to qualify for competition at the Dubai CrossFit® Championship in the December finals. The top 37 male and female individual athletes as well as the top 10 teams from online qualifier will be invited to compete at the finals.
Here’s the 18.1 Qualifier workout:
Part A
For time (00:00 – 10:00)
60 Double Unders
10 Thrusters
60 Double Unders
20 Thrusters
60 Double Unders
30 Thrusters
The thrusters 50/35 kg or 110/80 lbs (must select kg or lbs, no mixing weights will be permitted)
Remainder of time : Rest
Part B
5 Rounds for time (10:00-20:00)
30 Double Unders
15 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
Teams work differently than the CrossFit Open:
Teams are new to the DCC, and unlike the Open where individuals qualify independently and then create a team, a team must be established upon registration. All members of a team can complete the qualifier workouts individually, but the designated team captain is responsible for submitting all team scores at once. Teams can substitute members up until the 18.1 deadline, after which point the roster is set. If for any reason a team member cannot compete at the finals after qualifying, the entire team must forfeit.
The DCC purse is pretty impressive:
There are $616,000 in cash prizes to be won throughout the duration of the three-week qualifier and four-day finals competition. Each of the 37 finals qualifiers for the male and female divisions will receive at least $500, with $3,000 to third-place $6,000 to second place and $9,000 to the winner. Each of the 10 team qualifiers will also receive at least $500 with $1,500 to the third place team, $3,000 to second place and $5,000 to the winning team.
Like the CrossFit Games, there’s cash to be collected for each of the 10 individual events during the finals competition. At the end of the competition, each individual walks home with no less than $1,000, and the individual winners each score a cool $50,000, and the first place team takes home $20,000.
Photo from Dubai CrossFit Championship Facebook. Credit @supercleary @ckdesigns_sa, @gregfalski
