CrossFit Oslo Navy Blue on Competing, Community, and What’s Next
For the third year in a row, CrossFit Oslo Navy Blue representing CrossFit Oslo Norway stood on the podium at the CrossFit Games. Aside from their record of being one of two affiliates this year to send three teams (Invictus also broke the record in the same season), CrossFit Oslo Navy Blue is also one of only two teams to stand on the podium three years in a row.
One big thing: CrossFit Oslo Norway’s third-place finish this year is continued evidence of the growth of the sport of fitness in the small country of Norway.
- Not only did CrossFit Oslo Navy Blue stand on the podium, but three of the four Norwegian teams made it into the top fifteen at the Games this year, meaning 20% of the top 15 teams were Norwegian.
Remind me: In 2021, CrossFit Oslo burst onto the scene with a second-place finish at the CrossFit Games.
- Two years later, they not only had an additional second-place finish under their belts but also managed to send six teams to Semifinals as an affiliate and three teams to the CrossFit Games.
- After five days of intense competition, CrossFit Oslo Navy Blue would once again stand on the podium in third place overall, just a few points behind CrossFit East Nashville PRVN.
- Behind them, fellow Norwegian competitors, CrossFit Trondheim stood in 12th, while fellow affiliate members, CrossFit Oslo Blackout would finish in 14th and CrossFit Oslo Najs would finish in 27th.
But this year of victory for CrossFit Oslo Navy Blue nearly didn’t happen. In August of last year, following their second second-place finish at the 2023 CrossFit Games, the team thought they were done.
- “The entire 2022 season, everyone was thinking this will be the last season and that was our mindset after the Games,” said team captain Elvind Dahl Ringard.
- “But when we sat down [in September of 2022], we said why not do this again,” he continued.
- “After that, we had a chat with Kristin and we decided we were going to be a Kriger team and in October started to put together a plan about how we were going to attack the next season,” he added.
But that decision was one that led to a standout year for CrossFit Oslo, not just in results, but also in the community they built.
- “I think that what we have created within the CrossFit Oslo environment has been such a cool experience,” said CrossFit Oslo Navy Blue team member Ingrid Hodnemyr.
- “We always have each other’s back in training and on the competition floor,” she continued.
- “It’s always something special for the teams, we do it for each other,” she concluded.
- “We’re all friends and hang out outside of the gym,” added Dahl Ringard.
Beyond training, the Oslo community supported each other throughout the competition season.
- During Quarterfinals, the other CrossFit Oslo teams were able to benefit and learn from CrossFit Oslo Navy Blue and their experience.
- “When we did Quarterfinals together we went first so other teams learned from our mistakes,” said Dahl Ringard.
- “But with Semifinals and the Games, we had the other Norwegian teams going before us so we could learn and they were happy to share their strategy,” he continued.
What’s more unique about the CrossFit Oslo Navy Blue team, beyond their three podium finishes, is that they are one of the few true affiliate teams competing at the Games.
- All four members of CrossFit Oslo Navy Blue came up training at CrossFit Oslo.
- “I’ve been managing CrossFit Oslo for the past four years and I saw Ingrid join the gym and I saw Lena join the gym, she attended my group classes,” said Dahl Ringard.
- “Nick was training at one of our other affiliates, but he has always been part of our CrossFit Oslo community,” he continued.
The homegrown nature of the team not only brought back the nostalgic feel of the original intention of the Affiliate Cup but also strengthened the CrossFit Oslo community.
- “This year I feel like [the competitive program] has been a positive contribution to the community,” said Dahl Ringard who has been managing CrossFit Oslo for the past several years.
- “The members are super supportive and the entire team squad probably sold 500-600 t-shirts and people from the CrossFit Oslo community bought $20,000 in lottery tickets as well,” Dahl Ringard added.
What’s next: Much like last year, the future of CrossFit Oslo Navy Blue is leaning towards not returning to the Games.
- “We don’t know,” said Ingrid Hodnemyr when asked what she thought the future of the team was.
- “I think this was the last of Navy Blue,” added Dahl Ringard.
- Dahl Ringard continued to explain that while CrossFit Oslo will continue to have a presence in the competitive scene of CrossFit, this year may have been the peak for a while.
- “There will be a lot of teams at Quarterfinals and maybe 3-4 teams at Semifinals. But going to the games with three teams might not happen again for a while,” he said.
- “In terms of Norway, I think this year was the peak but who knows? There’s a lot of really good younger athletes coming up,” he added, explaining that these next few years might be more of a building year for the Norwegian team CrossFit scene.
The big picture: Regardless of what happens in the 2024 season, the 2023 season was instrumental in proving that Norwegian CrossFit is not one to be overlooked. With seven teams at Semifinals and four teams at the Games, including one on the podium, Norwegian CrossFit is continuing to grow and evolve and prove themselves as potentially the next big thing in CrossFit.
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