CrossFit CEO announces resignation after controversial tweet

Crossfit CEO resigns after controversial tweet

LOS ANGELES - The CEO of CrossFit is stepping down and retiring. Greg Glassman’s announcement comes Tuesday night, just days after sending a polarizing tweet that has resulted in lost affiliations.

The controversy started Saturday when a research center that forecasts coronavirus cases tweeted: "Racism and discrimination are critical public health issues that demand an urgent response."

The tweet from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation also included the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.

Then CrossFit CEO Glassman responded with: "It's Floyd-19."That set off a firestorm of backlash. A day later, on Sunday, Glassman issued an apology on Twitter saying:

"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."

That wasn't enough for many, including Reebok, which announced it’s severing ties with CrossFit.Hundreds of gyms followed suit, including CrossFit Echo Park, which now has to come up with a new name.

General Manager Jason Mac explained the gym's decision to cut ties: “We just want to be inclusive. Our goal here is to love everybody who walks in; to leave them better off walking out the door then when they walked in. That’s all we want to do regardless of the name on the building.”

Mac says the decision does not impact his members, saying they can expect the same high-intensity workout.

CrossFit's website says it has 15,000 gym affiliations worldwide.

No word on exactly how many it lost because of Glassman’s tweet.

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