What event was Lazar Dukic competing in when he went missing in the 2024 CrossFit Games?
The CrossFit Games have confirmed one competitor has died, hours after Dukic was seen struggling in the water.
It has been confirmed that an athlete has died at the 2024 CrossFit Games, hours after Serbian Lazar Dukic went missing in the water in the first event of the 2024 CrossFit Games at Marine Creek Lake, near Fort Worth in Texas. Event organizers, however, have not officially named the competitor that lost his life.
Dukic goes missing in combined running and swimming event
28-year-old Dukic had been among the leaders in a combined running and swimming event with only a short distance remaining, but failed to finish. The competitors were coming towards the end of a 3.5-mile run followed by an 800-meter swim, with a number of social media users posting clips from their live streams showing the Serb struggling in the water around 100 meters or so before the finish line.
Many questioned why the CrossFit Games safety team didn’t intervene, while it was also claimed spectators had been turned away as they attempted to rescue Dukic.
JUST IN: #CrossFit CEO Don Faul and Games Director Dave Castro announce via a press conference that an athlete died during the first swim event of the Games this morning at Marine Creek Lake in Fort Worth.
— Matt Howerton (@HowertonNews) August 8, 2024
As a result, the rest of Day 1's events have been canceled.
Although… pic.twitter.com/lpvmyWHE5G
Body pulled from Marine Creek reservoir in Dukic search
In the aftermath of the incident, it was reported by MedStar and CBS News Texas that emergency crews from the Fort Worth Fire Department had responded to a drowning call near the site of the Games at Marine Creek Reservoir, from which they had recovered a body.
Lazar Dukic goes missing as athlete dies in CrossFit Games
2024 CrossFit Games confirm death of Lazar Dukic
After not initially commenting on the incident, the CrossFit Games issued a statement on Thursday afternoon.
In it, they said they were “deeply saddened by the death of a CrossFit Games competitor during the swimming portion of Individual Event 1.” Forth Worth Police have said the name of the competitor “will 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”.
Complete your personal details to comment
Your opinion will be published with first and last names