CROSSFIT GAMES 2024
2024 CrossFit Games confirm death of Lazar Dukic
The Serbian athlete tragically lost his life at Marine Creek Lake in Texas, having been seen struggling in the water.
The 2024 CrossFit Games were overshadowed by tragedy after it emerged that one of the competitors has lost his life. Serbian athlete Lazar Dukic went missing while swimming at Marine Creek Lake in Texas. A body was later recovered from the water with the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office identifying the victim as 28-year-old Lazar Dukic. The cause of death has not been confirmed.
Dukic disappears in water in combined event
As reported by Anabel Ávila, an internet personality who provides news on CrossFit, Dukic’s whereabouts had been unknown after he disappeared on the opening day of the CrossFit Games, during an event that involved both running and swimming.
Having been among the event’s leaders with only a short distance left to go in the swimming section, Dukic did not cross the finish line and was seen struggling in the water in clips of a live steam of the event shared on social media.
Emergency team pulls body from water
Dukic’s team quickly informed the CrossFit Games’ organisers when he failed to emerge from the water in Marine Creek Lake, located in northwest Fort Worth.
The Fort Worth Fire Department responding to a drowning call, arriving shortly after 8 a.m. and a body was recovered about an hour later. The CrossFit Games confirmed that one athlete had lost their life in the event, but didn’t give any further details.
CrossFit and Fort Worth Police statements
“CrossFit is deeply saddened by the death of one of our athletes in the swim portion of our event this morning,” said CrossFit CEO Don Faul.
“We are collaborating, we are working very closely with the authorities with the follow-up investigation”.
Leah Wagner, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth Police Department, revealed the name of the athlete would not be released “until the Tarrant County Medical Examiner has the opportunity to speak with the family and verify the athlete’s name and identity - a formality that was concluded later on Thursday.
Game organizers cancelled the rest of the day’s events and it is not known whether the competition, which is due to run until 11 August, will resume.