2024 CrossFit Games Preview: Team Division
In a few short days, the 16th Affiliate Cup competition will kick off at the 2024 CrossFit Games.
- Teams representing the seven Semifinal regions will take the floor in Fort Worth, TX, to determine the Fittest Affiliate on Earth.
Since its inception in 2009, we’ve seen the growth of the team competition and an increase in overall skill and level of competition throughout the division.
- What first started off 16 years ago as a side event has blossomed into a massive piece of the Games experience as teams are now backed by major sponsors and feature some of the biggest names in CrossFit.
In fact, the road to the team competition at the Games this year was more competitive than ever.
- With a field of only 30 teams, this year represents the smallest team competition since 2019 and the second smallest field in the history of the CrossFit Games.
Beyond the size, we’ve also seen some big names enter into the team competition, including multi-year veteran team athletes and former individual Games athletes.
So, let’s dig in.
Teams to Watch at the 2024 CrossFit Games
Top Contenders
Last year, fans witnessed an upset for the coveted top spot on the podium when CrossFit Invictus beat out CrossFit East Nashville PRVN, which was comprised of veterans Andrea Nisler, Taylor Williamson, Tola Morakinyo, and Tim Paulson.
- This year, CrossFit Invictus is back stronger than ever and stands a solid chance of continuing its winning streak.
With an updated roster featuring Chandler Smith, Lauren Fisher, Joshua Al-Chamaa, and Jessie Smith, the team absolutely dominated the North America West Semifinal, winning every event but one.
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- While their history of team performance and strong roster sets them up as the obvious favorite, they need to watch out for Peak 360 CrossFit. This stacked team includes multi-year team veteran Tola Morakinyo, former Crossfit Oslo team member Lena Richter, and former Games athletes Noah Ohlsen and Matilde Garnes.
This may be their first season competing together, but the team put on a show at the North America East Semifinal when they won every event but one, beating the second-place team, CrossFit Mayhem, by over 30 points.
Last year, Morakinyo was on the CrossFit East Nashville PRVN team that lost the top spot on the podium to CrossFit Invictus. This year, he is back with some unfinished business to handle.
- There are some other strong contenders in the field this year, but few match the experience, strength, and skill level that Peak 360 CrossFit and CrossFit Invictus bring to the table.
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Podium Contenders
While Peak 360 CrossFit and CrossFit Invictus fight to see who will stand on the top of the podium at the end of the weekend, there’s a fair amount of competition to see who will fill out the remaining spot.
Coming out of the European Semifinal, CrossFit Prestanda Kriger showed that they might just have what it takes to put the Kriger name back on the podium for another year.
- However, down in Oceania, Raw Iron CrossFit Mayhem Thunder is headed to the CrossFit Games with a roster of superstars who are hungry to become the first Australian team to medal at the CrossFit Games. The highest any Australian team has ever finished at the Games has been sixth.
Both of these teams stand a strong chance at cracking the top three and even potentially helping to pull an upset on one of the two teams pushing for the top of the podium.
Wildcard Teams
The top of the team field remains as strong as ever, but there are several that could show up to make waves in the top five and even potentially land themselves a spot on the podium.
During the North America West Semifinals, CrossFit Invictus Unconquerable only finished one workout outside of the top three in an extremely competitive region.
- While they don’t have any standout individual competitors like Raw Iron CrossFit Mayhem Thunder, CrossFit Invictus is well-known for putting together strong teams that perform well on the competition floor against teams that appear better on paper.
- This track record, coupled with their performance at North America West Semifinals, makes a podium position for this team a potential possibility.
CrossFit Mayhem has also been making a steady comeback since the departure of Games icon Rich Froning after the 2022 season.
- During their first year without Froning, the newly minted CrossFit Mayhem team finished seventh overall under the leadership of former Teen Games athlete, Angelo DiCicco.
This year, DiCicco led CrossFit Mayhem again to a second-place finish at the North America East Semifinals, an improvement from their third-place finish at Semifinals in 2023.
- While the team wasn’t quite able to keep up with Peak 360 CrossFit, who beat them by over 30 points, they still proved that they have what it takes to hold their own in one of the most competitive semifinals.
- They also have the backing of the Mayhem name, which has been long known for producing top-of-the-line teams that work well together on the competition floor, regardless of the individuals on their roster.
4 Stories To Watch
1. Mexico Sends First Teams to the CrossFit Games
This year marks a banner year for Mexico as CrossFit Quertero the W Pack will be the first team to represent Mexico at the CrossFit Games.
- Mexico initially qualified two teams, CrossFit Quertero the W Pack and CrossFit Complex Wodex.
- However, following a failed drug test for team member Carla Cornejo Plascencia, CrossFit Complex Wodex was disqualified. Rhino CrossFit Dawgs, who took eighth at the North America West Semifinal, were invited to take their spot.
2. Josh Mattes Returns to the Games
After a devastating injury forced Josh Mattes and his team to withdraw from the CrossFit Games just hours before they were set to take the stage for opening ceremonies in 2023, he promised Morning Chalk Up that it would not be the last fans would see of him.
- This year, he returned as part of Ocean State CrossFit Surge, which qualified out of the North America East Semifinals.
3. Always the Bridesmaid
For Tola Morakinyo and Lena Richter of Peak 360 CrossFit, finishing on top of the podium means more to them than most.
- Between the two of them, they have six top-10 Team Games finishes and four podium finishes in the team division, making them some of the most experienced and decorated team athletes on the floor.
Richter finished second with Crossfit Oslo in 2021 and second (2022) and third (2023) with CrossFit Oslo Navy Blue.
Similarly,Morakinyo has been in the team competition since 2017, when he finished 11th with Reebok CrossFit Back Bay, but has yet to earn gold.
- In 2022, Morakinyo’s super team, with individual Games superstar Annie Thorisdottir, Lauren Fisher, and Khan Porter, finished 14 points off the podium in fourth place overall.
Last year, Morakinyo joined another super team, CrossFit East Nashville PRVN, but they could not manage to beat CrossFit Invictus despite four event wins over the course of the Games.
4. Is 2024 the final year for teams at the CrossFit Games?
After the Masters, Teen, and Adaptive competitions were moved to separate venues and dates in 2024, the question now stands: Is the Team Division next?
While the team competition has been a staple of the CrossFit Games since 2009, in an interview with Saxon Panchik, Castro admitted that CrossFit was thinking about the potential of separating out the team division.
- “Yes, I guess I never really talked about it or this is the first I am talking about this. Seriously, separating the teams completely from the Games and just [keeping] the Games for individual athletes. That is definitely [something] we are thinking about…doing the teams as another phase, and again, guys like you [Saxon] could do both if you wanted to,” Castro said.
It’s certainly an interesting proposition and one that sets off a series of additional questions, including those surrounding the ability of individual Games athletes to compete in both the team and individual divisions.
The Big Picture
Nothing is guaranteed in sports — that’s why we still run the races after all the analysis and guesswork.
But, if we’ve learned anything from the past few years, it takes more than just putting together a team of superstar athletes.
- It takes strong leadership and communication for these teams to come together and outperform their competitors.
To build the ultimate super team to stand on top of the podium, these athletes will need skills, strength, endurance, a little bit of luck, and, more importantly, strong capabilities to work together as a team.
More 2024 CrossFit Games Coverage
- How to Watch the 2024 CrossFit Games
- 5 CrossFit Games Storylines You Should Pay Attention To
- Will One of These 3 Veteran Women Finally Get to the CrossFit Games Podium This Summer?
Featured image: @alextrobough / Instagram