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Lazar Dukic was an elite Serbian athlete who disappeared underwater and died during the swimming portion of the CrossFit Games event in Fort Worth, Texas.
“Today is the saddest day in @CrossFit history. We are shattered by the loss of Lazar Đukić along with the entire CrossFit community,” the CrossFit Games wrote on X.
According to Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth, Dukic had completed a three-and-a-half-mile run and was finishing a half-mile swim, when he “vanished” while swimming “with a pack of competitors” near the finish line. WFAA-TV called his death a “reported drowning.”
The video widely circulated on X and TikTok.
People slammed the CrossFit games in the comment thread under its X post. “Why on earth was there not a mechanism in place to detect that he had gone under and save him immediately?” wrote one person. “This should be fully investigated, the games should not be allowed to continue,” wrote another person.
In a video interview, the CrossFit Games CEO Don Faul confirmed that a death occurred “in the swim portion of our event this morning” on August 8. He said the CrossFit Games were supporting the family, and community and working closely with authorities.
Another person wrote, “Tragic and sad. I think continuing the games is the right decision. Yet, how do you go from ‘we saw on camera that he was struggling’ to ‘we can’t find him and don’t know where he went.’ There are hundreds of people there, safety boats, lifeguards, cameras. How was this missed?”
Samantha Brown, who was watching the CrossFit Games, told WFAA-TV, “It’s awful, especially since it’s not something that we would ever expect to happen and would imagine happening,” Brown said. “We are all athletes here and something like this is heartbreaking.”
CrossFit athlete Cole Learn told WFAA-TV, “I saw him sort of start to scramble he started doing small turns and he was trying to get his head out of the water. It was at that time we started screaming to the lifeguard he needed help and in a few seconds he was under, he never came back up.”
A GoFundMe page Says That Lazar Dukic Was ‘Known for His Kindness’ & ‘Supportive Nature’
According to a GoFundMe page to help the athlete’s family, “Lazar Ðukić, beloved friend and elite athlete went missing after a swimming portion of an event in Texas. On August 8, during the first event of the CrossFit Games in Ft. Worth, in the Marine Creek Reservoir, Lazar drowned.”
“A life that touched so many. Today the fitness community mourns the loss of beloved friend and elite athlete Lazar Đukić,” the page continues. The page has raised more than $260,000.
“Known for his kindness, humor, and supportive nature, Lazar brought a breath of fresh air wherever he went. Beyond his athletic achievements, Lazar was caring, humorous, and relentlessly supported those around him. His warm, supportive nature and quick wit left a lasting impression on everyone he met,” the GoFundMe page says.
“After years of passionately playing water polo in his home country Serbia, his debut at the 2021 CrossFit Games highlighted the start of a remarkable career. He shared a special bond with his brother Luka, introducing him to CrossFit and guiding him along the way,” the page notes.
“To his girlfriend Anja, brother Luka, friends, and family, we extend our deepest condolences. Lazar’s legacy of approaching life with kindness and humor will always be remembered,” it adds.
Another message on the page says, “We’ve seen the outpouring of love for Lazar and his family, and our COMMUNITY in this effort. We are so grateful and honored to help keep Lazar’s legacy alive. Our thoughts and prayers also go out to the athletes who make their decision on the next days ahead. We’ll have your back. Sending love to you all. Thank you again from all of us, we’ve made a meaningful difference for a Lazar’s family.”
The CrossFit Games Called Lazar Dukic 1 of the Sport’s ‘Most Talented Competitors’
According to the statement by the CrossFit Games, “Lazar was 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.”
“The first instinct is to shut down. To isolate. To mourn,” the statement says. “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 Đukić. We will open tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.,” according to the statement.
Dukic, 28, of Serbia, was formally identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office, according to WFAA.
He spoke in a video on Instagram about working hard and asking himself how badly he wanted it, just a day before his death.
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