The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word MEDALLIST
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
M
E
D
A
L
L
I
S
T
More clues leading to the result MEDALLIST
- Mediterranean elite embracing liberal prize winner
- One of the top three celebs touring lake next to the sea
- Sort of winner is still made to struggle
- One of best three dinners initially found in menu?
- Successful athlete turned dame on royal’s final roll of honour?
- First person leading everyone within distance must surely be this!
- Police arresting ill, sad criminal – did he take the silver?
- Man entering London Marathon’s home straight first?
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "One of the top three" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case one of the top three = medallist.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does MEDALLIST mean?
MEDALLIST noun- One who has received a medal; one who has medalled.
- An engraver, designer or collector of medals.