James Sprague
James Sprague rises to fame after being proclaimed the winner of the CrossFit Games 2024 at only 22 years of age and in his second year in the top flight.
Place of residence: Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Age: 22 years old May 20, 2002
Height: 74 in / 1'87m
Weight: 210 lb / 95 kg
Programming: BRUTE Strength
instagram: @spraguerrrr
2024
Champion CrossFit Games 2024
Sprague's second participation in CrossFit Games, in the Elite category.
In a Games marked by the death of Lazar Djukic and the absence of athletes such as Jeffrey AdlerJames Sprague takes the win in the last double event. With only 22 years oldbecomes the youngest athlete to win a CrossFit Games.
It was all decided in the final double event when he was 60 points behind Brent Fikowski and Fikowski finished 11th and 20th while Sprague was 5th and 4th. Sprague didn't know he was the winner until the final positions were announced. His friend Dallin Pepper was 2nd.
His worst result was a 21st position in the event of Clean Ladder (heavy lifting is one of his weaknesses) and 17th in the Push Pull 2.0. In the rest he was TOP 10 and won the CHAD event.
West Coast Classic Semifinal
He was 3rd in the Semifinal North America West when he proved that he could compete with the best athletes.
He won event 1 and 3. In the latter he set the fastest time globally 8:24, bettering Bayley Martin's previous best of 9:11 in Oceania.
He returns to Spokane, Washington and trains with Cole Sager to prepare for the Gamess.
Quarterfinals
44th in the world
Wodapalooza 2024
He participated as an individual and in teams of 3. In individual he was 7th overall and his team called The Strapping Young Lads which forms with Jack Farlow and Benoit Boulanger was 6th.
2023
CrossFit Games 2023
At the age of 21, he participated for the first time in CrossFit Games and his final position was 25th.
Sprague mentions that advancing from the teen division to the singles division was a great mental challenge, noting the difference in physical development between genders.
Semifinal North America West
After the bad experience of failing to qualify for 2022 by just 1 point, James was 11th, the penultimate place to get a ticket to CrossFit Games.
2022
He was part of the demo team in the CrossFit Games 2022.
Syndicate Crown Semifinal
It fails to qualify for the Games by only one position and one point.
He leaves Washington and moves to Naples Florida to train alongside BRUTE Strength athletes, Emma CaryDallin Pepper and Danielle Brandon.
2021
Does not qualify for Games
He participated in the West Coast Classic Semifinal but only managed to finish 22nd and therefore did not achieve a place in the Games.
2019
2nd year in Teens
He returns to participate in the Teen division and finishes 5th. First was again Dallin Pepper and 3rd Tudor Magda, both are teammates and great friends.
2018
Knee injury
He fails to qualify for the Games in teen. Curiously, he has always qualified in the second year of each category.
Announces that he will not be able to participate in the Granite Games due to an injury to his right knee.
Despite learning of the injury in February, at the time he didn't think it would be a serious problem. However, six months later, he realizes that not following a proper approach to recovery has had consequences.
Although he has a lot on his mind, he trusts that everything happens for a reason and that God has a plan for him.
He is determined to continue the recovery process with the hope of being fully recovered and in better shape in three months.
At the age of 16, he joined the BRUTE Strength training platform.
2017
First participation in Teen CrossFit Games
At the age of 15 he finished 4th in the Teen division of the CrossFit Games, his friend Dallin Pepper won that year.
He is a very religious person and always references Bible verses in many of his interviews. He says that his Christian faith helped him find peace and success in his sport, without letting defeats affect him negatively.
2015
How did you discover CrossFit?
Sprague discovered CrossFit through his father, a Games master athlete, who has been his source of inspiration.
Patrick Sprague had been addicted to alcohol and CrossFit helped him overcome his problem by completely transforming his life.
In search of community and a sense of belonging, James longed to find a place where he could fit in, especially after years in high school where he missed having a solid circle of friends.
Following the separation of his parents, in 2016 James was depressed, with poor eating habits and overweight. After watching Patrick compete in the 2016 CrossFit Gamess, the young athlete committed to attending at least 2 times a week CrossFit classes.
Sprague Sr. has participated 3 times in the CrossFit Games.
He played many sports growing up but his favorites were baseball, swimming and wrestling.
He was 7-8 years where his father would take him to a swim team in the summer. His father wanted James to feel comfortable in the water. At 12 he stopped doing this activity but it has helped him achieve good results in swimming events.
