The top 30 teams slept easy Friday night after surviving the first round of cuts. But Saturday was a new day, and teams had just two events to prove they had what it takes to move on in the competition before the field was cut down to 20. And the pool was just going to get smaller.
Mayhem entered Day 3 with a solid lead. Meanwhile, the next closest team out of the U.S., CrossFit Reignited, sat in 10th Saturday morning, and other teams looked like they were committed to creating a historic international podium for this year’s competition.
Only two teams outside North America have stood on the Affiliate Cup podium since the team competition began in 2009 — CrossFit Yas of the UAE in 2015 and CrossFit Taranis from Canada in 2011. Will this be the year the international teams take over?
Read on for highlights from each event of the day.
Events 8
For time:
1.5-mile run
168-ft. handstand walk
1.5-mile run
168-ft. handstand walk
Time cap: 40 min.
Event 9
Then,
F/F pair
3-rep-max back squat
M/M pair
3-rep-max back squat
Time cap: 8 min., each pair
The WHOOP North Park stadium was overcome by a wave of energy at 9 a.m. Saturday morning, just in time for an over-30-minute grinder for the teams.
Starting with a 1.5-mile run before heading back into the stadium for a conga line of handstand walks, teams were required to hold onto a rope to ensure they stuck together. This also meant they were limited by their weakest link.
Sitting just one spot below the cutline, Team Invictus led on the first run out of the gate, which may have proved an unwise tactic in such a long event. But the desire to stay above the cutline paired with the possibility that teammate Jenn Ryan’s broken hand would hinder their performance motivated the four athletes of Invictus to keep the speedy pace. Ryan was able to keep up with the 168-ft. stretch upside down, and the team ended in sixth place, which significantly helped its score heading into the next event.
CrossFit Oslo took its second event win in this event with a time of 25:32.16. Plus64 followed just seconds behind, which served as a much-needed 97-point pick-me-up for the team out of New Zealand.
CrossFit Oslo — Photo by Meg Ellery
During the three-minute reset between Events 8 and 9, teams had to forget their exhaustion and recover their focus and composure for the back squat. Team scores for Event 9 were the sum of all four athletes’ heaviest successful 3-rep-max back squats. The only rule was that in each successive attempt, the weight could only increase. Athletes could utilize the eight minutes however they pleased.
All bets were on Blues City CrossFit for an event win in this strength-focused workout. The highest recorded back squat on the field came from Blues City’s Stephen Wallace, who holds an inpressive 575-lb. 1-rep max. As every CrossFit athlete knows, though, some lifting days are better than others. On his last attempt at 480 lb., Wallace failed halfway up on his third rep, and the team ended with a total of 1,295 lb., good for ninth place in the event.
Blues City CrossFit — Photo by Duke Loren
CrossFit Invictus, on the other hand, showed up Saturday and stole the show. Together, the team members put up 1,385 lb, which put them in a tie for first place alongside CrossFit Mayhem Freedom. The event win bumped Invictus from 21st to 13th, far away from the chopping block.
Event 8 Standings:
1. CrossFit Oslo (25:32.16)
2. Plus64 CrossFit (25:41:03)
3. CrossFit Surbiton (25:43:20)
Event 9 Standings:
1. CrossFit Mayhem (1385 lb.)
1. CrossFit Invictus (1385 lb.)
3. Koda CrossFit (1360 lb.)
Event 10
5 rounds for time:
1 pegboard ascent (1 athlete)
6 synchro burpees (other 3 athletes)
Then,
8 Worm squats, full team
Time cap: 16 min.
In Event 10, CrossFit GM of Sport Dave Castro set out to expose athletes who “have not done their homework” by including the tactical pegboard.
CrossFit Surbiton clearly had and passed the test with flying colors.
The pegboard — a slick 13-foot-high flat piece of plexiglass — demanded strong and controlled upper-body movement. Patience was key. No athlete could advance to the pegboard or the Worm until their teammates were finished with the reps. Having a no rep from the pegboard could cost the team precious time.
Every member of team CrossFit Surbiton sprinted up the pegboard. The teammates say they train once a week on the board. After entering the event in fifth place, this first-place finish bumped them into a podium position heading into the final day of competition.
Event 10 Standings
1. CrossFit Surbiton (11:34.25)
2. CrossFit Resurrection (12:04.63)
3. CrossFit Awaside (12:05.17)
CrossFit Surbiton — Photo by flsportsguy photography
Top 5 in the Overall Standings After Day 3
1. CrossFit Mayhem (947 pts.)
2. CrossFit Oslo (773 pts.)
3. CrossFit Surbiton (725 pts.)
4. Plus64 CrossFit (703 pts.)
5. CrossFit Genas (682 pts.)
Cover photo by Duke Loren