Aimee Cringle Steps Into the Spotlight for 26.2 — and a Big 2026 Season
As Aimee Cringle prepares to take on her ninth CrossFit Open and make a push for her third Games appearance this year, she is also getting ready for a new experience – she’ll be one of three women to tackle the CrossFit Open workout 26.2 during the live announcement.
Remind me: Cringle made her debut at the CrossFit Games in 2024, finishing 13th in her rookie year.
- In 2025, she climbed the Games leaderboard, finishing 8th.
Also, in case you missed it, she took second place overall in the World Fitness Project’s inaugural season and holds a coveted spot on the R.A.D. athlete roster.
2026 CrossFit Open
As her season officially starts today, she was candid about what she’s been doing to prepare for the Open, first and foremost.
- “I’ve been building things back up, but I’ve had an ongoing wrist niggle, so it’s been a case of doing what I can whilst offloading it a bit and letting inflammation go down. The open is always a slightly different style of prep anyway, a lot of mixed modal, repeatability, and being ready for all the fitness,” Cringle told Morning Chalk Up.
The thought of the live 26.2 announcement isn’t overwhelming, but she’s looking forward to it with gratitude and excitement.
- “I have competed in front of big crowds a lot now, so I'm more used to that environment, but doing an Open announcement is different for me as it's a completely new opportunity, very exciting though; nonetheless. I’m just very grateful for the opportunity. I just need to go and take it all in and enjoy being there. Little me would’ve dreamed of doing this,” Cringle said.
Cringle has proven herself a well-rounded athlete who particularly shines in endurance tests (think back to her win on WFP’s Project 1 – a HYROX-style grind heavy on the running, with machines, sandbag carries, and weighted box step-overs).
We asked Cringle what she hopes to see programmed for 26.2.
- “Mixed-modal, a fair amount of engine, a bit of skill. Toes to bar, ring muscle-ups, double-unders, row? Not a sprint, please. Give me something longer than 10 minutes,” Cringle said.
World Fitness Project
Last season was a busy one for the U.K. athlete, and the upcoming season won’t be much different. It was just announced that she is one of the Signed Pros for the 2026 World Fitness Project, which will consist of two Tour Stops and a final.
- “Honestly, it’s a little tricky sometimes knowing exactly what the right thing to do is with the seasons and schedules, but I really enjoyed all the competitions at WFP last year. They were great experiences, great events, and they went really well for me, so I thought …Why not go again?” Cringle said.
She went on to say that she loves competing and that, with the WFP, athletes get three chances to test themselves against such a strong field. She remains focused on the CrossFit season, but she’s at her best when there are more opportunities to compete against top athletes and to enjoy it along the way.
To punch her ticket to the Games this summer, she’ll first have to take on a Semifinal, either live or virtual. She’s still undecided about which path she’ll take. In 2025, she qualified by finishing ninth in the In-Affiliate (Virtual) Semifinal.
- “Because I'm doing WFP in Mexico City at the beginning of May, it's difficult to know what path to go down, either French Throwdown or Madrid. (French is the following weekend after Mexico, and Madrid is four weeks after),” Cringle said.
Heading into this season, she shared with us that her goal is always just to “be better than last time.”
- “Every competition, I learn more about myself. More consistency across events. Make my ‘weaker’ events more of a strength. I’m proud of what I’ve done so far, but I definitely feel like I have more to give,” Cringle said.
