This is the first time you've introduced this argument into this thread (you are the one who said crossfitters are prepared for anything), and it doesn't make any sense. I would say that the typical police officer is at least as likely, if not more so, to need to chase a suspect on foot for several minutes as he is to need to lift something the weight of a tractor tire. None of these crossfit exercises have a practical application that outweighs the benefit that the typical police officer would gain from a daily half-hour run followed by some core work and pushups. (Which, by the way, is free-- crossfit memberships go for $125/month).
There is absolutely no way the organizers thought that their athletes would struggle to the degree that they did-- having three people drop out, hospitalizations, etc. If they did expect them to struggle so much, then why did they suddenly cancel one of the ensuing events? The organizers were deluded-- watch the preview portion of the video when they talk about how the athletes were supposedly going to carry their bikes as they ran through sand (they walked them slowly through) and sprint up a hill after the swim/bike portion (they pretty much walked, and it wasn't even that aggressive of a walk). It's the delusion and hubris behind these organizational decisions that is making me realize that crossfit is even sillier than I thought it was before.
The difference is that no one is putting Usain Bolt into a triathlon and then covering it likes it's a real sporting event, with helicopters, highlights, and breathless announcers talking about how amazing these athletes are as they walk up a hill.