Lazar Dukic, who was involved in Crossfit Games 2024He died on Thursday after news of his death came in. Drowning in Fort Worth Lake, Texas During the opening day of the competition.
CrossFit officials said Dukic, 28, of Serbia, died during the first event, which was a 3 1/2-mile run followed by a half-mile swim in Marine Creek Lake.
Dukic was pronounced dead at 10:24 a.m., according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Officials have canceled the rest of the events scheduled for Thursday.
In a statement posted to the X website, the CrossFit Games praised Đukić:
Today is the saddest day of my life @crossfit We are deeply saddened by the loss of Lazar Dukic and the entire CrossFit community.
Lazar was one of the most talented competitors in our sport, but he was more than just an athlete. He was a son, a brother, and almost a friend to our family. pic.twitter.com/iOCdn7PCSd
— CrossFit Games (@CrossFitGames) August 9, 2024
Today is the saddest day in CrossFit history. We and the entire CrossFit community are grieving the loss of Lazar Dukic. Lazar was one of the most talented competitors in our sport, but he was more than just an athlete. He was a son, brother, and friend to nearly everyone who knew him. Fiercely competitive, incurably funny, and incredibly kind, Lazar was the sunshine in any room he was in.
Losing his light is unimaginable. The first instinct is to shut down, isolate, and grieve. But the only cure for grief is to grieve. And the best way to grieve is to come together. In our community, coming together to do hard things is how we honor them. And in that spirit, we have decided to move forward with the 2024 CrossFit Games.
This weekend is dedicated to Lazar Đukić. We will be opening tomorrow at 10:00 am.
Officials said that after discussions with the athletes and Dokic, the decision was made to continue the event through the weekend.
A tribute to Dokic will be held at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, the site of the main event of the CrossFit Games on Friday morning.
Wednesday, Dokic posted on Instagram He added that his goal is to reach the podium at the 2024 CrossFit Games with his brother Luca, who was also competing.
A GoFundMe has been created. To support the Dukic family, it has raised nearly $300,000 as of Friday morning.
CrossFit CEO Don Fowle He said the safety plan Security personnel were on the scene and details of what happened will be part of a review with local law enforcement.
“We will continue to focus on our community and our family during these tragic circumstances,” Fowle said.
“There are a lot of people in the community who are hurting right now, who are feeling very sad, who knew the athlete well, who loved him and respected him. There are a lot of people in mourning.”
“Devoted travel trailblazer. Freelance beer scholar. Passionate analyst. Hardcore twitter fanatic.”
More Stories
Philadelphia Mayor, Philadelphia Sixers Reach Agreement on Proposed Downtown Arena
Fantasy Football Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em Week 3: Zach Charbonnet is the best player on the roster, and more starts to come
Adrian Wojnarowski retires from ESPN, joins St. Bonaventure