Editor’s note: this story contains spoilers for episode 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16.
Philly’s crown jewel, Sapphira Cristál, has just broken an all-time record on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 episode 12.
On tonight’s episode, “Bathroom Hunties,” Sapphira won another maxi challenge along with Plane Jane. As a result, Sapphira becomes the first and only contestant to win three consecutive maxi challenges in the U.S. flagship Drag Race series (which means that All Stars is excluded!).
Sapphira has now won a total of four challenges — three of which took place in episodes 10, 11, and 12. Plane currently has the second-best track record of the season, with three maxi challenge wins (episodes 2, 8, and 12).
A few queens have won two consecutive challenges in the past. From the Logo TV era, those queens are Raven (season 2 episodes 7 and 8), Alexis Mateo (season 3 episodes 3 and 4), Manila Luzon (season 3 episodes 12 and 13), Adore Delano (season 6 episodes 6 and 7), and Violet Chachki (season 7 episodes 10 and 11).
In the VH1 era, the list has Shea Couleé (season 9 episodes 4 and 5), Eureka (season 10 episodes 5 and 6), Gigi Goode (season 12 episodes 6 and 7), Jaida Essence Hall (season 12 episodes 9 and 10), Olivia Luxx (season 13 episodes 6 and 7), and Symone (season 13 episodes 2 and 4 — she didn’t compete in episode 3 — as well as episodes 10 and 11).
On MTV, two consecutive challenge winners so far had been Sasha Colby (season 15 episodes 9 and 10) and Anetra (season 15 episodes 12 and 13). However, no other queen in flagship Drag Race herstory won three times consecutively like Sapphira just did in season 16.
Sapphira is also the sixth queen in herstory to win four maxi challenges in a regular U.S. season of Drag Race, joining Sharon Needles (season 4), Shea Couleé (season 9), Gigi Goode (season 12), Symone (season 13), and Sasha Colby (season 15). You better werk, Ms. Cristál!
RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 airs every Friday on MTV.
