Semifinals: Week 2 Team Predictions

Image Credit: Athlete’s Eye

North America West, Oceania, and South America

Fifteen of the 38 team spots to the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games will be earned this weekend; 10 of those spots will come from North America West, 3 will come from Oceania, and 2 will come from South America. 

South America Teams Field

In sports you always have to play the game. However, when it comes to the team division in South America it’s looking pretty good for two teams. Sense Fitness CrossFit Mayhem Soul cruised through Quarterfinals picking up two event wins, two third place finishes and only 15 total points. 

Their closest competitors, Q21 CrossFit, had twice as many points at 30; which was in turn twenty points clear of the third place team, Templa Sa CrossFit Blacksheep Treta. Each of the top three teams had one workout which was notably worse than the others, but for Mayhem it was a seventh, while for Q21 it was a 20th, and for Blacksheep it was a 45th; if Blacksheep, or anyone else, wants to challenge for one of those two spots they likely cannot afford a finish like that. 

Brian’s South America Team Picks

South America: 2 Spots
1	Sense Fitness CrossFit Mayhem Soul
2	Q21 CrossFit
3	Templo Sa CrossFit Blacksheep Treta
4	Vittoria CrossFit Morereps 2023
5	WTC CrossFit Ghostbusters Team
6	CrossFit Tyranno
7	CrossFit Beira Rio Team Beira Rio
8	Compa CrossFit
9	Pam CrossFit
10	Soren CrossFit Team Soren 1

Oceania Teams Field

The team field in Oceania is similar to the South American (and African) team field in one regard- there is a team representing CrossFit Mayhem who comes in as the favorite. CrossFit Torian Mayhem was perfect in Quarter finals, five for five on event wins, and many of those wins were by sizable margins. Semifinals is just a pitstop for them, the Games is where they will get a chance to see how they stack up against some of the other best teams in the world.

Behind them it could be rather hotly contested for the remaining two spots. It feels like there are probably four teams vying for those spots: Plus64 CrossFit 64Army Endgame, CrossFit Torian Black, CrossFit East Tamaki Jack’s Pack, and PFC Crossfit 3076. 

Plus 64 leading the way in this group with Clint Kohl leading the way, and the addition of American Kelly Benfey. Kohl’s 64 Army team was 6th at the Games two seasons ago and seem to be set up to make a return trip this year. 

Of the remaining three teams I like East Tamaki’s history and experience. They had teams at the Games in both 2017 and 2018 and were one spot out last year at Semis. They’ll have a battle on their hands all weekend, but when it gets tight composure under pressure can go a long way. 

Brian’s Oceania Team Picks

Oceania: 3 spots
1	CrossFit Torian Mayhem
2	Plus64 CrossFit 64Army Endgame
3	CrossFit East Tamaki Jack’s Pack
4	CrossFit Torian Black
5	PFC CrossFit 3076
6	2100 Tribe CrossFit Tribe HQ
7	CrossFit Creative
8	Concept CrossFit Concept Crew
9	CrossFit Peak Blaxland
10	CrossFit Chocolate Box

North America West Teams Field

It doesn’t appear that there are as many top end, or Games caliber, teams in North America West as North America East (NA West has 5 to NA East’s 16 top 40 teams coming out of Quarterfinals). However, there are still some elite teams in this competition, and there will still be a fierce battle for the cutline amongst many similarly competitive teams.

The Top Four

The four teams who are likely to emerge at the top of this one are all top ten threats at the Games, and two of them are threats for the podium. 

• CrossFit Invictus: was third place last year and returns the exact same team. They have been vocal about their goals for this year, seem to be having fun in the process, and they should not be overlooked as Championship contenders.
• CrossFit Franco’s MisFits: was fifth place worldwide in Quarterfinals and brings a lot of excitement and experience with them despite being a new team. They are on the short list of podium contenders this year as well.
• CrossFit Omnia: seventh place at the Games last year, returning three of their four athletes, and adding Kelly Stone (who as an individual is likely the best of the four). Relative to their top end potential, they may be the most underappreciated team in the world right now. 
• CrossFit Invictus Unconquerable: Invictus’s second team, but they were inside the top ten after Quarters too. Any time you’re the second best team out of the same camp or affiliate the spotlight is a little less dim. They don’t have the star caliber of athlete of Invcitus’s top team, but this team is very good and should not be overlooked. And don’t forget, Invictus as an affiliate has been thriving in the team divisions longer and more consistently than any other affiliate in the world; that counts for something.

Hunting Games Spots

Behind those four are a host of competitive teams looking to parlay potential and momentum into opportunity and success. While there are varying amounts of experience and known information about the next dozen teams, only half of them at most will leave Pasadena having achieved what they are hoping for. 

Brian’s North America West Team Picks

NA West: 10 spots
1	CrossFit Invictus	11	Undefeated CrossFit
2	CrossFit Franco’s MisFits	12	CrossFit Overtake Team Density
3	CrossFit Omnia	13	CrossFit 417
4	CrossFit Invictus Unconquerable	14	CrossFit 8035
5	Rhino CrossFit Dawgs	15	CrossFit Lumberyard
6	Koda CrossFit Redemption	16	CrossFit Complex
7	CrossFit Kilo II	17	CrossFit SDA – Some Dudes Army
8	CrossFit Invictus Sea of Green	18	CrossFit Kinesis Black
9	CrossFit Believe	19	CrossFit Standard Strength
10	Verdant CrossFit	20	Ben Lomond CrossFit Rise