CrossFit Games: Mat Fraser Dominates En Route to Record Fifth Consecutive Gold Medal
Mat Fraser is officially the fittest man in the history of the CrossFit Games. He entered the [...]
Mat Fraser is officially the fittest man in the history of the CrossFit Games. He entered the three-day competition with the goal of performing well, and he demolished the competition. Fraser won 10 of the 12 workouts and officially locked up his fifth title in dominant fashion, breaking a tie with Rich Froning and cementing his legacy as the greatest athlete the sport has ever seen.
Fraser put an exclamation on his title during the long and brutal Atalanta workout. This event consisting of a one-mile run, 100 handstand push-ups, 200 single-leg squats, 300 pull-ups and another one-mile run was the last opportunity for Noah Ohlsen, Samuel Kwant, Justin Medeiros and Jeffrey Adler to fight for the two remaining podium spots. On the other hand, for Fraser, it was a victory lap after building up an insurmountable advantage.. He had mathematically clinched his record-breaking fifth championship at the end of Saturday and only needed to complete the events on Sunday to solidify his spot in history.
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At the beginning of the weekend, the reigning champ told reporters that he felt like an underdog despite being the man everyone chased. He doubled down on these comments during a Saturday press conference, explaining his mindset. Fraser said that he trains every day to put on his best performance at the Games. Still, he also pictures Ohlsen and the other competitors having their best day while he has his worst. The underdog mentality certainly worked as Fraser finished the Games with a 545-point advantage over second place.
While Fraser won his fifth title, four-time Games competitor Samuel Kwant earned his first spot on the podium. He remained consistent throughout the weekend, notched his first career event win and secured the silver medal. Rookie of the Year Justin Medeiros lived up to the hype and earned a bronze medal.
Fraser burst onto the scene during his rookie appearance at the 2014 CrossFit Games. He went toe-to-toe with Froning, ultimately finishing with a silver medal. Fraser returned to the Games one year later looking to win and capitalize on his strong rookie season. However, he finished second overall once again — this time to Ben Smith — after struggling during one particular event. The second consecutive silver medal and the struggles with an odd object known as The Pig angered Fraser, and he set out with the intention to come back even stronger.
The Fittest Man in History showcased his improvement during the 2016 games and began an unprecedented reign of dominance. He won the opening Ranch Trail Run and then remained consistent for the remainder of the competition. He ended the weekend 197 points ahead of Smith. His run continued in 2017 and 2018 with a 216-point lead over second place and then a 220-point lead. 2019 was his most difficult season due to Ohlsen taking the lead into the final day, but Fraser made a comeback and ultimately secured his fourth gold medal.
In 2020, however, Fraser left no doubts and confirmed that he is the greatest of all time. He won both stages of the CrossFit Games to lock up his fifth title and the $300,000 prize. He also won his 28th career event, the most in history.