This week the CrossFit Games announced that, for the first time, at least officially, it has disqualified and banned an athlete for cheating during the CrossFit Open. Trevor Bachmeyer, 44, finished first worldwide in the Masters 40-44 division and second in the individual division in the NorCal Region.
Top Athlete Disqualified & Banned : Here’s how it went down…
Before athletes are sent an invitation to compete at Regionals, they are asked to submit a video of one of their Open workout. Bachmeyer was asked to send his 17.3 performance. According to the CrossFit Games, “his video submission was flagged by one of CrossFit’s judges, which prompted a request for additional videos. After review of Bachmeyer’s 17.5 video, a judge determined that only a single round was performed and then repeated on a loop to give the appearance of 10 rounds. Subsequent analysis by CrossFit Inc.’s video department also supported this determination”.
For now, Bachmeyer’s scores have been invalidated and he has been banned from competing at any CrossFit-sancitoned event for four years.
Bachmeyer, a doctor who releases a ton of mobility and instructional videos through his Instagram page, has received a mixture of support and the expected harsh criticism. @suitsandbarbells writes: “Everyone here insisting on just enjoy the videos (referring to his mobility videos), are basically saying integrity does not matter anymore. The guys is a freaking “doctor”. Being in the medical field there’s something of outmost importance on your ethics and integrity not just in practice but also on the way that applies to everyday life and everything you do! But I am a big fan of Trevor’s and really waiting to hear his side of the story.”
Yesterday, many of his fans (he has over 126k followers) asked him to clear his name and release the video. Today, the CrossFit Games officially released the video. Judge for yourself; although the editing isn’t very obvious, there are a few telltale signs including identical split times and an identical awkward move that happens every time he reaches for his rope.
