The 2014 CrossFit Games has come to an end and left us with a stack of great memories from one of the best year’s of competition yet.
There were plenty of other highlights throughout the week in Carson, Cali. Here’s a look at the top 10 moments of the 2014 CrossFit Games:
10. Cody Anderson wins the Muscle Up Biathlon – the next Chris Spealler?
In recent times CrossFit has seemed a sport for the bigger men, but lightweight Cody Anderson made one hell of an impact in his first Games appearance. While he finished 22nd overall, his finished with three top 10 placings and a first place on the Muscle-Up Biathlon. At 5”7’, 160lb and 22 years of age, Anderson has the potential to be the next Chris Spealler. After he won the Muscle-Up Biathlon by more than half a minute, unbroken, his mark was certainly left on the 2014 CrossFit Games.
9. Rich Froning walks during the Triple-3 Event
It’s very rare we ever see Rich Froning struggle. Ever. But for the first time in year’s we saw the world’s fittest man battle his way through a workout. Heading into the first day of competition at the StubHub Center, Froning was in first place overall and on track for another first place finish at the CrossFit Games. But he showed everyone he is human by finishing 37th overall in the Triple 3, his worst ever placing at an event at the CrossFit Games. At multiple times during the 3-mile run, Froning stopped running and had to walk, and looked completely exhausted in the Californian sun. It was the first time we had ever seen him struggle so much at the Games, and many started to doubt he was able to complete the ‘fourpeat”.
8. Chris Spealler’s last event
Anyone who loves CrossFit loves Chris Spealler. He embodies everything great about the sport. At 150lb and 5”5, he’s proof that size isn’t a limitation and is consistently the smallest man on the floor. In his seventh year competing as an individual at the Games, Spealler made it clear this year would be his last. So when he finished his final event, Double Grace, it was no surprise to see the crowd gave him one of biggest standing ovations seen during the competition.
7. Brandon Swan is cheered through Push Pull by his fellow athletes
CrossFit commentator Sean Woodland once said that the athlete who finishes last during an event, often gets a louder cheer than the athlete who finishes first. This was evident during the men’s Push Pull event at the 2014 CrossFit Games. The event tested athletes with increasing deficit, strict handstand push-ups and progressively heavy sled pulls. Three-time Games competitor Brandon Swan was the only man unable to complete the task, but it didn’t stop him receiving the most support. As the clock wound down on the heat his fellow athletes lifted their exhausted bodies from the Tennis Stadium floor, cheering and encouraging him right to the end. It was the true spirit of CrossFit in full swing.
6. Camille Leblanc-Bazinet wins
After an impressive debut performance in 2009, Camille Leblanc-Bazinet has entered the CrossFit Games year after year with the heavy weight of expectation on her shoulders. While she has consistently been outstanding in the CrossFit Open and champion of the Canada East Region, this year saw her finally live up to her potential. In an emotional four days, Leblanc-Bazinet was incredibly dominant and finished 30 points ahead of nearest challenger: 2011 & 2012 Games champion Annie Thorisdottir.
5. The crowd gets behind Wes Piatt as he demos Thick’N Quick
While the CrossFit Games are predominantly about the athletes, the complexity of some of the events and new movements requires a ‘demo team’, made up of elite CrossFitters, to perform them to the crowd and competitors. When it came to the demonstration of the second last event, Thick ‘N Quick, Wes Piatt found himself in a world of pain with the 245lb overhead squat pushing Piatt to the edge of his ability. Dave Castro continued to explain the event while Piatt spent 10 minutes struggling through the three overhead squats. When Piatt stood up for the last rep, we heard one of the most deafening cheers heard during the 2014 CrossFit Games.
4. Camille Leblanc-Bazinet unbroken on the rig in 21-15-9 Complex
Leblanc-Bazinet is known as the gymnastics queen and she showed exactly why during 21-15-9 Complex. While most athletes dropped from the rig between their chest-to-bar pull-ups and bar-muscle-ups, Leblanc-Bazinet wowed the crowed with seamless transitions. Every time. It was an occasion where CrossFit could be described as nothing short of beautiful.
3. Dave Castro’s frosted tips.
Dave Castro is known for his interesting wardrobe selection at times, but it was his dramatic hair change that got the crowd talking at the 2014 CrossFit Games. On Day 1 of individual competition his hair was long, flowing and entirely dark brown, but on Day 3 Castro took to the floor with a style reminiscent of the naughties: frosted tips. When asked, he said his hair was just like CrossFit in that it was unknown and unknowable.
2. Rich Froning’s Fourpeat
The CrossFit Games is now into it’s eighth year, and for four of those years Rich Froning has been the Fittest Man on Earth. Coming into the 2014 Games; however, it was common knowledge that it would be his last year in the individual competition. At least for now. Over the four days of competition all eyes were on the champ to see if he would make it four in a row to be the undisputed fittest man on Earth. As expected, he did.
1. Mat Fraser’s podium finish as a rookie
For most people, it take years of dedication and hard training to become one of the elite athletes at the CrossFit Games. While Mat Fraser has had years of elite weightlifting experience, he still defied the norm to become the second fittest man on Earth after just 18 months of CrossFit training. Judging by this year’s competition, 2015 could very well be a fight between two exceptional rookies for the top of the podium; Noah Ohlsen and Mat Fraser.
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