Carla Cornejo received a 4-year sanction earlier this year for violating CrossFit Drug Policy while competing at the North America West Semifinal. Last month Cornejo competed and won the team competition at the 2024 FSC.
This past weekend Cornejo was on the competition floor again, this time at the 2024 Cronos Games in Mexico. Cornejo was on Team Complex with Natalia Glory and Sofia Armenta.Â
Team Complex won four of the six events and racked up 570 points on their way to win the Women’s Advanced division.
 
However, the organizers of the Cronos Games did not allow Team Complex to win or stand on the podium. And this is where the controversy comes in.
According to Cornejo, the organizer told her and her team heading into the final event that they would not be allowed to win the competition. However, in speaking with someone familiar with the competition I was told that organizers informed Cornejo and her team that they could compete, but would not be allowed to stand on the podium.
I reached out to the organizers of the Cronos Games for clarification, but have not received a response.
In looking through the Cronos Games stories, it does appear that Cornejo’s account may indeed be accurate.
An Instagram story on Sunday by the Cronos Games asked its followers who would win the Advanced Women’s division. Team Complex was in first place at the time and one of the options in the poll was Team Complex.
Of course, winning the competition and taking home prize money or standing on the podium could be very different things.
But one thing is for certain, Cornejo is upset with the situation. “Well, the took our 1st place medal from me and my girls at the Cronos Games,” stated Cornejo in her Instagram stories.
She continued in a later story, “The only and undisputed champions!”
Cornejo’s sanction from the CrossFit Games prevents her from competing in CrossFit licensed events for the next four years. She is not formally banned from competing in local or non-CrossFit affiliated competitions as it is up to the organizer to decide whether she can compete.
It appears the Cronos Games organizer allowed Cornejo and her team to compete this weekend, but at some point it was decided to not allow the team to win or stand on the podium. The question, however, is when was that decided and when was it communicated to Cornejo and her team.
At this time, those details are unclear which is leading to the controversy.
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