When Director of the CrossFit Games, Dave Castro, nestled onto a Concept 2 rower during 14.4’s announcement, the collective CrossFit world thought he was joking.
He wasn’t.
In true CrossFit fashion–unknown and unknowable–Castro said we’d get to row for the first time in the Open, officially inviting a host of other movements into the five week competition, and making the community at large shiver at the possibilities.
At Practice CrossFit alone, we rowed more than 6,000 Calories and got our toes to the bar over 4,000 times.
“I’ve never done 50 toes to bar before,” masters athlete Vicki Brubaker said moments after 14.4.
Other athletes new to CrossFit or the CrossFit Open, kicked the bar above their head for the first time.
“Going into 14.4, I just knew that today was the day I was going to get my first T2B,” Tish said. “For the past couple of weeks I had been inching closer to the bar, but could never put the cues together to make it work. On my first attempt following the row, I touched the bar with one foot for a no-rep. That moment and no-rep was such an incredible feeling. I had never been that close and it reinforced my confidence that it could happen. Many attempts (and cues yelled from the stands) later, both feet made contact! In that moment I felt like I was on top of the leader board! All competitors in my heat had left me swinging on that rig and moved on while I fought for my 2nd, 3rd, 4th and finally 5th t2b. I had never been happier to be stuck there by myself, dead last, fighting.”
Meanwhile, all over the globe affiliate owners joined hands, shared rowers and demonstrated the effects of a global community built on making humans better.
The one and only thing that sucks about the Open, is that there is only one Workout left.
Warm-up:
Coaches choice
Strength:
Thruster
10×2
For time:
Pull-up
Push-up
Hang power clean 95/135
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1
Auxiliary:
Tabata-Wall-ball
Extended:
750m-Row
1 minute rest
Level 1
Skill:
Pull-up/toe to bar
*Work at improving technique or advancing for 15 minutes.
For score:
10-Push press
20-Lateral hops
30-Sit-ups
AMRAP 8 Minutes
Auxiliary:
Couch stretch
Post impression to comments.