CrossFit Games Champion Rich Froning Announces Retirement from Teams Division
After a eight-year reign as the head of one of CrossFit‘s great houses, Rich Froning announced on an Oct. 25, 2022 episode of The Sevan Podcast that he intends to retire from the Teams division.
Froning, 35, remarked that he’s “loved every minute” of his time captaining the team representing CrossFit Mayhem, which has won the Teams division at the CrossFit Games no fewer than six times — the most dominant run in the sport’s history.
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Mayhem Freedom’s victory in the Teams division at the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games also marked Froning’s 10th Games title. He won the Individual competition four times (the first male in history to do so) from 2011 to 2014 before turning his gaze toward Teams the year after.
CrossFit Mayhem at the Games
Under Froning’s stewardship, CrossFit Mayhem & Mayhem Freedom have set the tone for what a coordinated, high-performing team of athletes should look like in competition.
Froning’s team has ascended to the top of the podium in Madison nearly every year since 2015, with two exceptions. CrossFit Mayhem narrowly lost the first-place title in 2017 to Wasatch CrossFit (966 points to 918 points). In 2020, no Teams competition was held due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Here’s a breakdown of the Mayhem Freedom roster since 2015:
2015
- Rich Froning
- James Hobart
- Matt Hewett
- Elly Kabboord
- Kristen Reffett
- Lauren Neal
2016
- Rich Froning
- James Hobart
- Matt Hewett
- Elly Kabboord
- Kristen Reffett
- Lindy Barber
2017
- Rich Froning
- Darren Hunsucker
- Matt Hewett
- Elly Kabboord
- Kristen Reffett
- Lindy Barber
2018
- Rich Froning
- Matt Hewett
- Tasia Percevecz
- Lindy Barber
2019
- Rich Froning
- Dre Strohm
- Tasia Percevecz
- Chyna Cho
2021
- Rich Froning
- Chase Hill
- Andrea Nisler
- Taylor Williamson
2022
- Rich Froning
- Samuel Cournoyer
- Andrea Nisler
- Taylor Williamson
More Worlds to Conquer?
While Froning may be wrapping up the Teams chapter of his career in competitive fitness, he might not be ready to hang things up altogether. Froning also mentioned that he’s interested in competing in the Masters division on the podcast, provided it doesn’t detract from his home life and growing family:
“From now on whether I compete will be decided on a year-to-year basis depending on what season of life we’re in and how this old body feels,” Froning remarked in an Oct. 25 Instagram post.
With four Individual and six Team victories on his resume, Froning seems more than capable of tackling — and winning — any CrossFit challenge he sets his sights on.
The 2023 CrossFit Open kicks off on Feb. 13, 2023.
Featured Image: @richfroning on Instagram