A tragic incident occurred at the CrossFit Games on Thursday morning when 28-year-old Serbian athlete Lazar Dukic died during a swimming event at Marine Creek Lake in Fort Worth.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner confirmed Dukic’s identity after his body was recovered around 10 a.m.
The distress call was made around 8 a.m. when Dukic, who was participating in a 3.5-mile run followed by an 800-meter swim, went missing near the finish line. An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of the incident, according to Fox 4 KDFW.
Witnesses reported seeing Dukic struggling during the swim, though it initially appeared to be a common difficulty experienced by other racers as well, rather than a life-threatening emergency.
Kaitlin Pritchard, a spectator, noted that several athletes, including Dukic, looked tired and were adjusting their swimming styles, with some bobbing in the water to regain energy.
“I recall seeing him in the warm-up area along with all the other athletes at about 6:30 in the morning. They took off like a cannon, like I expected. It was a 3 1/2 mile run. I think most of them did it in under 30 minutes, which is incredibly fast on a hot day,” Pritchard told Fox 4, describing the initial start to the race.
The tragic incident led to the immediate evacuation of spectators from the area.
The annual CrossFit Games, which were held in Fort Worth this year for the first time, brings together competitors from around the world to vie for the title of “Fittest on Earth.” Dukic, who had consistently placed in the Top 10 in previous years, had shared his excitement about the event on social media. His brother Luka was also competing in the CrossFit Games in Fort Worth, according to KERA News.
CrossFit Games posted a statement on Facebook shortly after Dukic’s body was recovered.
“CrossFit is deeply saddened by the death of a Crossfit Games competitor during the swimming portion of individual Event 1 at the 2024 CrossFit Games.
“We are fully cooperating with authorities and doing everything we can to support the family at this time. The well-being of competitors is our first priority and we are heartbroken by this tragic event,” the message read.
Late Thursday evening. CrossFit Games posted a message on the social media platform X, describing Dukic as “one of our sport’s most talented competitors, but he was much more than an athlete. He was a son, a brother, and a friend to practically everyone who knew him. Fiercely competitive, incurably joyful and uncommonly kind, Lazar was the sun of any room he was in. The loss of his light is inconceivable.”
Although the remainder of Thursday’s scheduled events were canceled following the tragic incident, the CrossFit Games resumed on Friday and will continue throughout the weekend as scheduled.
Explaining the decision to continue, CrossFit Games wrote on social media, “But the only cure for grief is to grieve. And the best way to grieve is together. In our community, coming together to do hard things is how we pay tribute. In this spirit, we have decided to move forward with the 2024 CrossFit Games.”
“This weekend is dedicated to Lazar Dukic,” the statement concluded.