15 Best and Most Famous CrossFit Athletes of All Time

Our ranking of the 15 best CrossFit athletes of all time, led by Tia-Clair Toomey, Mat Fraser and Rich Froning, with Games titles and finishes.

Each profile lists division, country, birth date and CrossFit Games record, followed by what made the athlete stand out. Below the ranking you will find the defining athlete of each era of the Games, the marks these athletes still hold and the names that just missed the cut.

How We Ranked the CrossFit Athletes

Titles: CrossFit Games individual championships, the only title that decides who is Fittest on Earth.
Podiums and consistency: how often the athlete finished in the top three or top five, year after year.
Dominance: winning margins and event wins, compared with the rest of the field at the time.
Influence: whether the athlete raised the standard of the sport or shaped how others train.

Men and women are ranked on one list, because both compete at the same Games under the same format. Early champions are judged against the smaller fields of their time. The order is our own judgment, not an official one.

The 15 Best CrossFit Athletes at a Glance

#	Athlete	Division	Career
1	Tia-Clair Toomey	Women	since 2015
2	Mat Fraser	Men	2014 to 2020
3	Rich Froning	Men	2010 to 2022
4	Annie Thorisdottir	Women	2009 to 2023
5	Katrin Davidsdottir	Women	2012 to 2024
6	James Sprague	Men	since 2023
7	Justin Medeiros	Men	since 2020
8	Laura Horvath	Women	since 2018
9	Sam Briggs	Women	2010 to 2022
10	Ben Smith	Men	2009 to 2019
11	Camille Leblanc-Bazinet	Women	2011 to 2018
12	Patrick Vellner	Men	2015 to 2026
13	Jason Khalipa	Men	2008 to 2015
14	Jeffrey Adler	Men	since 2020
15	Sara Sigmundsdottir	Women	since 2015

#1 Tia-Clair Toomey

🏋️ Division: Women
🎂 Born: July 22, 1993, in Nambour, Queensland, Australia
🌍 Country: Australia
🏆 Career Highlights: 8× CrossFit Games champion (2017 to 2022, 2024, 2025), 2× runner-up (2015, 2016), Commonwealth Games weightlifting gold (2018, 58 kg), Olympian in weightlifting (Rio 2016)

Toomey has won more CrossFit Games titles than any other athlete, man or woman: six in a row from 2017 to 2022, then two more in 2024 and 2025. She finished second at her first two Games in 2015 and 2016, so she has never placed lower than second in any Games she has completed.

She also competed at the highest level in weightlifting, placing 14th in the 58 kg class at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and winning Commonwealth Games gold on the Gold Coast in 2018. She skipped the 2023 season while pregnant with her daughter, came back to win in 2024 and won in Albany in 2025 by 182 points over Lucy Campbell. She did not compete at the 2026 Games after announcing her second pregnancy in November 2025.

#2 Mat Fraser

🏋️ Division: Men
🎂 Born: January 25, 1990, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada
🌍 Country: United States
🏆 Career Highlights: 5× CrossFit Games champion (2016 to 2020), 2× runner-up (2014, 2015), Rookie of the Year (2014), US junior national weightlifting champion (2009)

Fraser won five straight Games from 2016 to 2020, the most titles by a man, and finished second in his two other appearances. In 2018 he beat Patrick Vellner by 220 points, and in 2020 he won 10 of the 12 events in the final stage and finished 545 points ahead of second place.

He came from Olympic weightlifting, where he was US junior national champion in 2009 before breaking his L5 vertebra. He turned down a spinal fusion and had experimental surgery instead, later earning a mechanical engineering degree at the University of Vermont. Losing a big lead to Ben Smith in 2015 changed how he trained, and he never lost a Games again. He retired in February 2021 and now runs the HWPO training program.

#3 Rich Froning

🏋️ Division: Men
🎂 Born: July 21, 1987, in Mount Clemens, Michigan, United States
🌍 Country: United States
🏆 Career Highlights: 4× CrossFit Games champion (2011 to 2014), runner-up (2010), 6× Games team champion with CrossFit Mayhem (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022)

Froning was the first athlete to win four Games titles, from 2011 to 2014, and he did it in a row. His first Games in 2010 ended in second place: he led going into the final event, finished 12th on its rope climb and lost the title to Graham Holmberg.

He left individual competition after 2014 at the top of the sport and moved to the team division with his gym, CrossFit Mayhem in Cookeville, Tennessee, where the team won six more titles before he retired from team competition in October 2022. A former firefighter in Cookeville, he wrote the memoir First: What It Takes to Win in 2013.

#4 Annie Thorisdottir

🏋️ Division: Women
🎂 Born: September 18, 1989, in Reykjavík, Iceland
🌍 Country: Iceland
🏆 Career Highlights: 2× CrossFit Games champion (2011, 2012), 2× runner-up (2010, 2014), 2× third place (2017, 2021), 13 Games appearances

Annie Mist Þórisdóttir was the first woman to win the Games twice, in 2011 and 2012, after finishing second in 2010. She arrived with eight years of gymnastics, two of ballet and two of pole vault, and she started the wave of Icelandic women at the top of the sport.

Her longevity stands out as much as her titles. A herniated disc kept her out of 2013, yet she was second again in 2014, third in 2017 and third in 2021, less than a year after the birth of her daughter. She competed at 13 Games, the last in 2023, and she is co-owner of CrossFit Reykjavik.

#5 Katrin Davidsdottir

🏋️ Division: Women
🎂 Born: May 10, 1993, in London, United Kingdom
🌍 Country: Iceland
🏆 Career Highlights: 2× CrossFit Games champion (2015, 2016), runner-up (2020), third place (2018), 10 Games appearances

Davíðsdóttir missed the 2014 Games by nine points when Kristin Holte took the last qualifying spot. A year later she was the Fittest Woman on Earth, and in 2016 she became the second woman to defend the title, after Annie Thorisdottir.

Coached by Ben Bergeron from 2016, she stayed near the top for years after her titles, finishing third in 2018, fourth in 2019 and second in 2020. A back injury forced her out of the 2024 season, and she announced her retirement that December. Her book Dottir came out in 2019.

#6 James Sprague

🏋️ Division: Men
🎂 Born: Date not published; grew up in Snoqualmie, Washington, United States
🌍 Country: United States
🏆 Career Highlights: 2× CrossFit Games champion (2024, 2026), third place (2025), 2× Teen Games competitor (2017, 2019)

Sprague competed at the Teen Games in 2017 and 2019 and finished 25th at his first individual Games in 2023. A year later, at 22, he won the 2024 title in Fort Worth with 806 points, 21 ahead of second place, at a Games overshadowed by the death of Lazar Đukić in the opening event.

In 2025 he finished third, one point behind Ricky Garard. In 2026 in San Jose he led from the first day to the last, won two events and finished with 1,318 points, 27 ahead of Dallin Pepper.

#7 Justin Medeiros

🏋️ Division: Men
🎂 Born: March 3, 1999, United States
🌍 Country: United States
🏆 Career Highlights: 2× CrossFit Games champion (2021, 2022), third place and Rookie of the Year (2020)

Medeiros finished third at his first Games in 2020, the year Fraser won his fifth title, and was named Rookie of the Year. When Fraser retired, Medeiros took over: he won the 2021 Games at 22 and defended the title in 2022.

He studied kinesiology at Boise State and is coached by Adam Neiffer. Since his second title he has finished 13th in 2023, eighth in 2024 and seventh in 2025, which keeps his two titles as the core of his case.

#8 Laura Horvath

🏋️ Division: Women
🎂 Born: March 21, 1997, in Budapest, Hungary
🌍 Country: Hungary
🏆 Career Highlights: CrossFit Games champion (2023), 2× runner-up (2018, 2021), third place (2022), Rookie of the Year (2018), 3× Rogue Invitational winner (2022, 2023, 2025)

Horvath was the first Hungarian woman to reach the Games, and in 2018 she finished second behind Toomey as a rookie. She was second again in 2021 and third in 2022 before winning in 2023, the first new women’s champion in six years.

She came to CrossFit from climbing and has also competed in Olympic weightlifting, lifting 120 kg in the clean and jerk at the Hungarian championships in November 2023. She withdrew from the 2024 Games after the death of Lazar Đukić, publicly blamed the organizers and did not compete in 2025.

#9 Sam Briggs

🏋️ Division: Women
🎂 Born: March 14, 1982, in Manchester, England
🌍 Country: United Kingdom
🏆 Career Highlights: CrossFit Games champion (2013), 4th place (2011, 2015, 2016), Masters 35 to 39 runner-up (2018)

Briggs won the 2013 Games at 31, beating Lindsey Valenzuela by 79 points, and was nicknamed The Engine for her endurance. That year she rowed a half marathon, 21,097 metres, in 1:27:47.9 as one of the events.

She was a firefighter with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service throughout her career. A fractured kneecap kept her out of 2012 and she missed the 2014 Games by six points, but she was fourth in 2015 and 2016. In 2022 she retired from individual competition to return to firefighting.

#10 Ben Smith

🏋️ Division: Men
🎂 Born: May 16, 1990, United States
🌍 Country: United States
🏆 Career Highlights: CrossFit Games champion (2015), runner-up (2016), 2× third place (2011, 2013), 11 straight individual Games appearances (2009 to 2019)

Smith reached the Games every year from 2009 to 2019 and was the first athlete with ten straight individual appearances. After third places in 2011 and 2013, he won the 2015 title ahead of Mat Fraser.

He was second to Fraser in 2016 and stayed in the top 12 until 2018, a long run in a sport that changes its tests every year. He founded CrossFit Krypton in Chesapeake, Virginia, in 2013 together with his family.

#11 Camille Leblanc-Bazinet

🏋️ Division: Women
🎂 Born: October 10, 1988, in Richelieu, Quebec, Canada
🌍 Country: Canada
🏆 Career Highlights: CrossFit Games champion (2014), 6th place (2012), 8 individual Games appearances

Leblanc-Bazinet won the 2014 Games after finishing 16th the year before, and she was the first Canadian woman to take the title. She had competed in gymnastics for almost 14 years until a hip injury ended that career at 16.

Her gymnastics base made her one of the strongest bodyweight athletes of her generation. She qualified for eight individual Games from 2011 to 2018, earned a chemical engineering degree at the Université de Sherbrooke, and is married to fellow CrossFit athlete Dave Lipson.

#12 Patrick Vellner

🏋️ Division: Men
🎂 Born: July 14, 1990, in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
🌍 Country: Canada
🏆 Career Highlights: 3× CrossFit Games runner-up (2018, 2021, 2023), 2× third place (2016, 2017), 10 individual Games appearances

Vellner stood on the Games podium five times without winning: third in 2016 and 2017, then second in 2018, 2021 and 2023. Those finishes came against Fraser, Medeiros and Adler, and no man without a title has a better record.

He graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto in 2019, training around his studies for much of his career. He announced early in 2026 that it would be his last season, qualified for the 2026 Games through the Last Chance Qualifier and retired after an injury that August.

#13 Jason Khalipa

🏋️ Division: Men
🎂 Born: October 2, 1985, in San Jose, California, United States
🌍 Country: United States
🏆 Career Highlights: CrossFit Games champion (2008), runner-up (2013), third place (2014), Spirit of the Games award (2009)

Khalipa won the second CrossFit Games in 2008, at 22, when the event was still held at a ranch in Aromas, California. Unlike most early champions he stayed competitive as the sport grew, finishing second in 2013 and third in 2014.

He built his gym, NorCal CrossFit, later renamed NCFit, into one of the best-known businesses in the sport. He stepped away from the 2016 Games to care for his daughter Ava, who had been diagnosed with leukemia, and wrote the book As Many Reps As Possible in 2018.

#14 Jeffrey Adler

🏋️ Division: Men
🎂 Born: May 20, 1994, Canada
🌍 Country: Canada
🏆 Career Highlights: CrossFit Games champion (2023), 2× 5th place (2020, 2022), CrossFit Open winner (2023), 2× Rogue Invitational winner (2024, 2025)

Adler started CrossFit in 2015 with no background in competitive sport and worked as a volunteer at the Games before he competed there. In 2023 he won the title, the first man from outside the United States to do so since Mikko Salo in 2009.

He withdrew from the 2024 Games after the death of Lazar Đukić and finished eighth in 2025. He is coached by his fiancée, Caroline Lambray, with whom he founded CrossFit Wonderland in Montreal.

#15 Sara Sigmundsdottir

🏋️ Division: Women
🎂 Born: September 12, 1992, in Reykjanesbær, Iceland
🌍 Country: Iceland
🏆 Career Highlights: 2× CrossFit Games third place (2015, 2016), 4th place (2017), 3× CrossFit Open winner (2017, 2019, 2020)

Sigmundsdóttir finished third at her first two Games in 2015 and 2016 and fourth in 2017, and she won the worldwide CrossFit Open three times. She also competed in weightlifting at the 2015 World Championships.

Injuries kept her from a title run: she withdrew from the 2018 Games and tore her ACL in 2021.

Best CrossFit Athlete of Each Era

The Games have changed format and venue many times since 2007. These are the athletes who defined each period.

Era	Athlete	Why
Ranch years (2007 to 2010)	Jason Khalipa	2008 champion who stayed on the podium into the 2010s
Carson era, men (2011 to 2014)	Rich Froning	Four straight titles
Carson era, women (2011 to 2014)	Annie Thorisdottir	First woman to win twice
Icelandic run (2015 to 2016)	Katrin Davidsdottir	Back-to-back titles after missing 2014
Madison era, men (2016 to 2020)	Mat Fraser	Five straight titles and record margins
Madison era, women (2017 to 2022)	Tia-Clair Toomey	Six straight titles
After Fraser (2021 to 2022)	Justin Medeiros	Two titles in a row
Recent years (2023 to 2026)	James Sprague	Titles in 2024 and 2026, third in 2025

Marks Held by These Athletes

Some of the standout marks set by the athletes above, as of 2026.

Mark	Athlete	Value
Most individual Games titles	Tia-Clair Toomey	8
Most consecutive individual titles	Tia-Clair Toomey	6 (2017 to 2022)
Most individual titles by a man	Mat Fraser	5 (2016 to 2020)
Winning margin at the 2020 Games	Mat Fraser	545 points
Games team titles with CrossFit Mayhem	Rich Froning	6
Straight individual Games appearances	Ben Smith	11 (2009 to 2019)
Podium finishes without a title	Patrick Vellner	5

Honorable Mentions

Eight more athletes who came close and could make the list on another day.

Mikko Salo: Finnish firefighter who won the 2009 Games, the last non-American men’s champion until 2023.
Graham Holmberg: Won the 2010 Games after passing Rich Froning in the final event.
Kristan Clever: Women’s champion at the 2010 Games in Carson, California.
Kara Saunders: Australian who finished second behind Tia-Clair Toomey at the 2017 Games.
Brent Fikowski: Canadian runner-up to Mat Fraser at the 2017 Games.
Noah Ohlsen: Finished second behind Mat Fraser at the 2019 Games.
Jayson Hopper: Won the 2025 Games in Albany with 787 points, 14 ahead of Ricky Garard.
Aimee Cringle: Isle of Man athlete who won the 2026 Games by 136 points over Emma Lawson.

More About CrossFit

FAQ

Who is the best CrossFit athlete of all time?

In our ranking it is Tia-Clair Toomey, ahead of Mat Fraser and Rich Froning. Toomey has won eight CrossFit Games titles, more than anyone else, and has never finished lower than second at a Games she completed. Among men, Mat Fraser is the usual answer with five straight titles from 2016 to 2020.

Who are the top 10 greatest CrossFit athletes?

Our top 10 is Tia-Clair Toomey, Mat Fraser, Rich Froning, Annie Thorisdottir, Katrin Davidsdottir, James Sprague, Justin Medeiros, Laura Horvath, Sam Briggs and Ben Smith.

Who has won the most CrossFit Games?

Tia-Clair Toomey with eight individual titles (2017 to 2022, 2024 and 2025). Mat Fraser has the most among men with five, followed by Rich Froning with four individual titles and six more in the team division with CrossFit Mayhem.

Who is the Fittest Man on Earth right now?

James Sprague won the 2026 CrossFit Games in San Jose, his second title after 2024. Aimee Cringle of the Isle of Man won the women’s title the same year.

Who is the best female CrossFit athlete?

Tia-Clair Toomey, with eight titles. Annie Thorisdottir was the first woman to win twice (2011 and 2012), and Katrin Davidsdottir won in 2015 and 2016.

Who was the first CrossFit Games champion?

James FitzGerald and Jolie Gentry won the first CrossFit Games in 2007, held at a ranch in Aromas, California.

What happened at the 2024 CrossFit Games?

Serbian athlete Lazar Đukić drowned during the swim in the opening event in Fort Worth, Texas, on August 8, 2024. The competition resumed the next day, and several athletes, including Laura Horvath and Jeffrey Adler, withdrew.