Team USA is once again on top of the CrossFit world after scoring a come-from-behind win at the 2014 Invitational in San Jose, California.
Entering the competition as the favorite, Team USA encountered early problems with their neighbors from up north. The Canadians won event 1 – wherein all athletes had to do 45 pull-ups and 45 thrusters. Australia followed in second place, leaving USA and Europe to finish in 3rd and 4th, respectively.
In the second event, Team USA dominated, thanks to Rich Froning’s massive 1-rep max snatch of 305 lb. Canada kept its lead, however, by finishing second – just 25 lb. behind USA’s 482 lb. total.
In event 3 (1-rep max clean and jerk), Canada pulled away once again, beating USA’s 560 lb. total with 603 lb. of their own. The score after 3 events: Canada 11, USA 6, Australia 5, and Europe 2.
Event 4 called for synchronized muscle-ups, rowing, heavy deadlift holds, and snatches. Team Europe finally got things going – after finishing dead last in events 1 and 2 – by claiming first place. Team USA, meanwhile, chased down Team Canada – courtesy of Froning and Khalipa – to finish second.
The final event of the competition would become the battleground to determine the eventual champions. And the team full of champions proved that it was their war to win. Team USA finished their handstand walks, tire flips, legless rope climbs, and the notorious worm lunges way ahead of the competition. They capped the event in 6:12.84, while the next-fastest team was Europe at 7:43.17. Their closest competition for overall first place, Canada didn’t finish the event.
Last year, Dave Castro notes, Team USA was cocky. That led them to their eventual downfall to Team World. This year, “They had better attitude, better spirit,” he says. With this win, Team USA has now won two of the three CrossFit Invitationals. You can now begin chanting: U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
You can watch the replay of the entire competition below.
Photos via: games.crossfit.com