CrossFit’s founder and CEO, Greg Glassman, announced his retirement Tuesday evening following a disastrous few days that have seen the fitness program lose key partnerships, endorsements and the business of hundreds of affiliated gyms around the world.
Several fitness brands abandoned crossFit after a pair of offensive tweets by Greg Glassman. On Saturday , in response of a tweet from Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation , which stated that ” Racism is a public health issue” , Glassman tweeted “It’s FLOYD-19”.
He Continued as “Your failed model quarantined us and now you’re going to model a solution to racism? George Floyd’s brutal murder sparked riots nationally. Quarantine alone is “accompanied in every age and under all political regimes by an undercurrent of suspicion, distrust, and riots.” Thanks!”
It was strongly criticized and Reebok, the official outfitter of the fitness program, told Footwear News they would end their partnership.
Later on 8 June Glassman issued an apology, 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.”
On 9 June a report from BuzzFeed claimed that in a private zoom call of 75 minutes, Glassman told some owners : “We’re not mourning for George Floyd” follwed by his retirement statement posted by crossfit.