Twenty-seven men and 27 women have qualified for the 2025 CrossFit Games so far. There are only three spots left for both sides, and two chances to fill them.
- A total of four tickets will be distributed this weekend at the NorCal Classic, the last IPQE of the season (two each for men and women).
- The final opportunity for athletes will be an online Last Chance Qualifier, scheduled for June 12-16, where one final man and woman will earn invitations.
So, who still needs to shoot their shot? Check out our top picks below:
NorCal Classic
Alex Gazan
The 2023 fifth-place Games finisher chose to sit out of the In-Affiliate Semifinals, citing that she and her coach, Justin Cotler, felt that it wouldn’t be worth the stress and chaos that’s inevitable in an online competition.
She then won the inaugural World Fitness Project event the following weekend.
- “On the topic of believing in myself, I’m banking on trusting the work. There’s no reason I shouldn’t get a spot in NorCal,” Gazan told Morning Chalk Up.
Sydney Wells
One Wells sister has already qualified for the Games at Syndicate Crown, and now the other needs to give it her all in Sacramento.
- Both Brooke and Sydney have Games experience – Brooke is the newest member of the 10-timers club, and Sydney is vying for her sophomore appearance.
The two have never competed at the final stage together, which they both have said would be the ultimate goal.
Emily Rolfe
The 2024 bronze medal winner at the Games, Emily Rolfe, skipped the In-Affiliate Semifinals, like Gazan.
She competed at the World Fitness Project Tour Event I but withdrew before the final day of competition.
Rolfe shared on social media that the last few weeks had been a struggle for her and that she was headed home to heal and “be back stronger for the next one.”
- “Don’t worry,” she added. “I’m no stranger to a comeback.”
Bill Leahy
With the entire community rooting for him, Leahy is making his third attempt at qualifying for the Games.
A first or second-place finish this weekend would be the ultimate redemption after suffering an Achilles rupture at the 2024 West Coast Classic.
In an interview we had with Leahy in February, he shared his mindset heading into the season.
- “I want to make the CrossFit Games. Nothing more, nothing less,” Leahy says. “To hit that low of a low, then fight back within a year and finish top 30 in the world – that would be an incredibly successful year. And honestly, it would prove a lot of people wrong.”
Nate Ackermann
Ackermann is giving 2018 Justin Medeiros vibes.
- The young competitor proved he’s the real deal in Oklahoma City at The Fittest Experience, where he finished fourth overall and nabbed three event wins in the process.
The former Teenage CrossFit Games champion is doing everything he can to make his mark in the Individual division.
Jorge Fernandez
The three-time CrossFit Games athlete has yet to compete as an Individual.
For three years, he competed on Team Invictus, and in 2023, he won the Affiliate Cup. This will be Fernandez’s third attempt at a Games qualification this season.
Others currently on the NorCal roster include Oda Lundekvam, Andrea Solberg, Spencer Panchik, and seven-time Games qualifier Bethany Flores. Veterans Caroline Prevost, Hattie Kanyo, and Rebecca Fuselier will be there.
Potential rookies Max Krieg, Alison Scudds, Miley Wade, and Trista Smith will compete as well. But one of the most exciting names to see on the list is Kristen Holte, back from retirement, throwing her hat in the ring once again.
Worth noting: Many of these athletes have been competing weekend after weekend, fighting for a chance at the Games.
- For example, Trista Smith and Bill Leahy will be throwing down for a third time – both competed in the In-Affiliate Semifinals, The Fittest Experience, and now NorCal.
This won’t be the final stop for many of them; we can expect to see those who finish the weekend outside a qualifying spot register for the Last Chance Qualifier, their last opportunity to make it to Albany.
2025 Last-Chance Qualifier
The final men’s and women’s roster spots will be available through the Last Chance Qualifier, presented by the Hustle Up app. Eligible athletes will have five days to complete five workouts and submit their scores in the Hustle Up app.
So who’s eligible?
The field will be relatively large, as the top 50 non-Games qualifying athletes from the In-Affiliate Semifinals and the top 10 non-Games qualifying athletes from the In-Person Qualifiers will have the opportunity to register and compete.
Eligible athletes will have five days to complete five workouts and submit their scores. Similar to the In-Affiliate Semifinals, the workouts must be completed at an affiliate “in good standing,” with both a “head judge” and a “floor judge.”
- The workouts will be released on June 11.
Who can we expect to see on the leaderboard?
There are big names and Games veterans who haven’t yet qualified and aren’t registered for NorCal. It’s uncertain whether they’ll choose to participate in another online competition.
There are some heavy hitters out of Europe who have yet to secure a Games spot. Jonne Koski missed qualifying from the In-Affiliate Semifinals by two spots, finishing in 13th place, while Bjorgvin Karl Gudmundsson finished in 22nd. This would mark Gudmundsson’s 12th Games appearance, as he has qualified every year since 2014.
There were also some very close calls, with Caroline Stanley finishing in 12th place on the In-Affiliate Semifinals leaderboard, missing out by just one spot, and Sara Sigmundsdottir taking third after an impressive performance in South Africa.
Games veterans Erica Folo and Manon Angonese performed well in both the Open and Semifinals, and perhaps aren’t ready to fold without one last fight.
More CrossFit Stories
- Brooke Wells Earns 10th Games Berth — One of Just 6 Women to Do It
- Dave Castro Gives Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr a Deadline to Accept Her CrossFit Games Invite
- 2025 Northern California Classic: How to Watch, Leaderboard, and 5 Things to Know
Featured Image: Carlos Fleury, carlitosfleury / Instagram
