I noticed that a lot of teams that had potential to win finished 9th.
Examples: Heather and Eve -eliminated due to penalty
Jim and Marsha- missed flight connection
Debbie and Bianca -got lost
Marianna and Julia -helped another team
Mark and Bill -penalty
Brad and Victoria -missed flight connection
Zev and Justin- lost passport
Monique and Shawne -struggled at both tasks.
Steve and Josh and Pat and Brenda -despite coming in first on the previous leg, they were eliminated the next.
Curse the 9th place finish!
God, I wouldn't agree that many of these teams had the potential to win, except for the very base fact that all teams have the statistical potential to win.
Pat & Brenda were so not going to be in it, and only started the so well due to the Fast FOrward being available in every leg (minus the finale) yet their first leg showed no evidence that that they excelled at any aspect of this race.
Steve & Josh only did well in two circumstances one was working with a group of two other teams, and taking a Fast Forward, on their own not so much.
Marianne & Julia sorry but this team did exceptionally poorly at nearly every aspect of each leg they were in.
Wanda & Desiree had one solid leg, after that they did poor to worse (and this includes both aspects of a double leg). Fatigue was already hurting this team. No way would they have managed.
Jim & Marsha neve showed on any of their legs any great strides or a level of performances that would indicate they would have faired well.
Heather & Eve started fairly solid but didn't improve, I don't think I could see this team surviving the fatigue. And unlike say Teri & Ian I don't feel either had the drive (love them or hate them Teri & Ian had drive, even when they sucked).
Mark & Bill (I like them, a lot), but do I think this team could take the fatigue of the journey and be competitive??? Well at least their race was a week shorter then earlier season so less killer fatigue to deal with.
Brad & Victoria (I loved this team) and I do think they had the drive and physical ability to handle the fatigue.
Zev & Justin, I honestly don't know. Fatigue and strength were a real problem with this team. How well would they have managed, later... Tasks choices could really, really kill this team (and its another I really liked).
Monique & Shawne felled by the physical nature of tasks, and early never a good sign for how you would handle the stress and fatigue and how that effects you down the line.
Debbie & Bianca did great on one leg, did medicore on the next and fell apart the next. But this is one team that I really think could have recovered, I think they could have been a final three team.
Then we have Lena & Christy another team that did fairly well (nothing great), but got killed on one task. I never pictured this team as final three material for their season, but I did figure top 5.