CROSSFIT GAMES UPDATE: TEAM ROSTERS ARE CONFIRMED
This is a bit of "old news" but still worth noting if you are a fan.
On May 31st, CrossFit announced the final Games team competition rosters, including alternates, for 10 of the 14 qualified teams. Certain rosters have not yet been confirmed due to things getting mixed up by the last few Sanctionals and drug-related issues. Those should be confirmed soon.
I won't take the time to list every roster right now, but take a look at this list provided by our friends at the Morning Chalk Up https://morningchalkup.com/2019/05/31/crossfit-releases-rosters-for-10-of-14-games-teams/
My takeaways from these rosters are as follows:
First and foremost, the teams are STACKED, and I love it. The Games have been becoming more and more about super teams recently, but no more so than this year. I think a lot of elite athletes saw this as an additional way to make their way to the Games if they couldn't get it done individually, and it has shaped this team competition up to be one of the best in history.
Photo via CrossFit Games
It is no secret that some of these teams secured bids thanks to the assistance of elite athletes who are choosing to go to the Games as an individual. Jamie Green and Samantha Briggs helped carry teams to their Games bid, to name a few. What I find VERY interesting, is that this means those individuals must take up the alternate spot on their teams. This spot is now not usable, essentially, and could cause tons of Games week drama. I would be SO intrigued to see what would happen in the competition this August if one of the main team players goes down, and one fo the big time individuals had to step out of their competition to assist their team. Not likely, but it's possible and would be NUTS.
Photo: Down Under CrossFit Championship
One last thing I have my eye on was a sneaky little thing that hasn't made much noise in recent CrossFit news. The former champ Ben Smith is listed as an alternate for CrossFit Mayhem Freedom. Froning's team is a perennial favorite for the Games crown, especially after recently adding Chyna Cho to their ranks. Ben Smith, meanwhile, has been struggling mightily to qualify this year and may miss the Games as an individual. Imagine a scenario where Ben takes the second male Mayhem spot at the Games, to try to win a team title with Mayhem? WOW, that's good TV.
What do you think about all these super teams? Bad or good for the sport? Discuss in comments below, and let us know whatcha think!
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