Grading the 2024 Semifinals 

The commentary in Australia is what makes it great! They’re excited, they talk about the action and the athletes- it’s compelling. In NA the commentary is all about the minutiae of movement mechanics and proselytizing about the methodology. It’s literally like enduring a lecture or a timeshare pitch.There was little to no focus on what was going on on the floor, or the standings in the comp or the broader semi’s overall. Conway would be great as like an added guest between heats, but if you can’t rely on the cameras you have to have someone actually doing the call. Kudos to Lauren for TRYING to rein it in a bit. I know she knows a ton about the athletes and am happy to see her get after it.

The late John Madden once said, during a football broadcast, "If you don't like the result then play better." Anikha Greer losing out by one point is heartbreaking, but, and this is a tough comment on my part, but don't finish 34th in event one.

I know I’m in the minority here, but I didn’t mind the first day podcast coverage with Adrian. He brought in different cohosts that had different perspectives about competing athletes and their own experiences. Not to mention that although you didn’t get close ups, you could at least see everyone competing. Many times during regular coverage you had a split screen focusing on an athlete doing nothing, meanwhile someone else is doing something great and we don’t see it because the one camera is focused on a particular athlete. So so frustrating when you do split screens focusing on like 2 or 3 “popular” athletes when they’re not leading the field. There’s always 10 athletes out there and y’all get so focused on the name, that the audience at home misses cool things happening with other athletes. CrossFit media doing CrossFit media things, which isn’t always good 🤷🏼‍♀️

South America broadcasting was amazing! All days and heats in 3 languages, including a drone following the athetes all the 800m

I love Lauren's idea of having the individuals competing only on Saturday and Sunday. A two day competition tests the athletes more comprehensively in terms of wear and tear. It also is a better way of finding the best athletes for the Games.

I loved the programming over the six events. One of the best competitions in terms of programming.

Given the current state of CrossFit's financial bottom line, this was clearly all that they could afford, but it's hard to get excited about the sport with only a six event semi final and the Games. It is not enough live in person competition to create excitement in the sport.

I thought that Scott Pancik and Adrian Conway did a very good job with what they had in the first event at the North America East semifinal

C- for me

The commentating was good, but the coverage was horrible (D-)

I clicked on the West Coast Classic live stream, saw the empty stadium and turned it off.

I could only bring myself to watch the SF of Europa and Oceania. Europe because I live there and Oceania because the quality of the broadcast ensured that they all fit together nicely. Of the other SFs, the lack of event 1 meant that you didn't really get a sense of how everything fit together. Plus, I'm getting so tired about the lecture about the methodology, SF's has nothing to do with the methodology. I don't want to hear about snatching with a pvp-pipe when I'm watching people snatch more then my bodyweight. America was to much about the presenters and not enough about the athletes. Also, if you grade, use a system then everyone can understand. I don't want to google what A+ when I'm on my phone.