As the world's fittest athletes prepare to take the competition floor in San Jose, another group of elite CrossFit competitors will play a key role behind the scenes at the 2026 CrossFit Games.
CrossFit has unveiled its official 2026 CrossFit Games Demo Team, the athletes responsible for demonstrating each event before competition begins. While they won't be competing for the title of Fittest on Earth, the Demo Team helps ensure every athlete, judge and fan gets a first look at how each workout is intended to unfold.
- Subscribe To FloElite To Stream The 2026 CrossFit Games
- What's Streaming On FloElite? Check Out The Schedule
- Check Out More CrossFit On FloElite
The Demo Team is filled with accomplished CrossFit athletes, including multiple CrossFit Games veterans, Semifinals competitors and experienced coaches. Their role is to perform each workout according to competition standards, giving athletes and judges a clear look at movement expectations before the events begin.
What Is The CrossFit Games Demo Team?
Before every event, the Demo Team performs the workout exactly as prescribed, showcasing movement standards, transitions and event flow before the competition field takes the floor.
The demonstrations help athletes, judges and fans understand each test while also allowing organizers to verify equipment, timing and logistics before the world's best athletes compete.
Although they are not competing for the CrossFit Games title, Demo Team members are among the sport's most accomplished athletes and are selected for their movement quality, competitive experience and consistency.
Meet The 2026 CrossFit Games Demo Team
Meet the team:
Rafa Sancen (Captain)
Rafa Sancen returns as captain of the CrossFit Games Demo Team after serving in the same role in 2025.
Originally from Mexico and now living in the United States, Sancen is a three-time CrossFit Semifinals athlete who first competed in the CrossFit Open in 2017. He trains at Richard Russell CrossFit in Monterey Bay, California, and brings another year of leadership to the Demo Team.
William Leahy IV
William Leahy IV narrowly missed qualifying for the 2026 CrossFit Games after finishing 11th in the Individual Online Semifinals.
Leahy competed at the 2025 CrossFit Games, where he finished 26th overall. A five-time Semifinals athlete and CrossFit Level 2 Trainer, he trains at CrossFit Mandeville in Louisiana.
Chris Ibarra
Chris Ibarra enters the Demo Team as one of the group's experienced Games competitors.
A two-time CrossFit Games athlete, Ibarra finished 13th in the 2026 Individual Online Semifinals. He is a four-time Semifinals athlete, first entered the CrossFit Open in 2021 and trains at Overland Park CrossFit in Kansas.
Grace Walton
Australia's Grace Walton continues to add to an impressive CrossFit résumé.
Walton is a two-time CrossFit Games athlete and five-time Semifinals competitor. After beginning CrossFit in 2020, she quickly rose through the sport, making her first CrossFit Open appearance in 2021.
Sydney Smith
Sydney Smith brings both team and individual competition experience to the Demo Team.
A California resident, Smith is a two-time CrossFit Games team athlete and also competed in the 2026 Individual Online Semifinals. She first entered the CrossFit Open in 2020 and trains at CrossFit Invictus in San Diego.
Emily Rolfe
Canada's Emily Rolfe is the most experienced CrossFit Games athlete on this year's Demo Team.
Rolfe has competed at the CrossFit Games five times since first entering the Open in 2015. She trains at CrossFit Sea Level while balancing a full-time career as a medical radiographer, fitting her elite training around her work schedule.
Watch The 2026 CrossFit Games Live
The 2026 CrossFit Games begin July 22 with competition opening at The Ranch before shifting to San Jose for the remainder of championship week.
FloElite is the exclusive global streaming home of the 2026 CrossFit Games, providing live coverage of the Individual, Team, Masters, Teenage and Adaptive divisions throughout the competition.