Who was Lazar Dukic and how did the CrossFit Games competitor die?
A CROSSFIT Games competitor has tragically died after taking part in a swimming event.
Lazar Dukic sadly died while competing at Marine Creek Lake at the annual CrossFit Games.
Who was Lazar Dukic?
The annual event, in Fort Worth, Texas, seeks to crown “the fittest man and the fittest women on Earth”.
He had an incredible work ethic with his athletics career but, you know, always also made time to speak to people and make time for them
Gijs Spaans
The 28-year-old was a talented water polo player and an athlete ambassador for FITAID, a sports drink brand.
Gijs Spaans, the general manager of FITAID, worked with Dukic for three years and became good friends.
He described him as a driven athlete and a “guy who walks into a room and lights up the room”.
“Just a really, really good dude.”
When did Lazar Dukic die?
Yesterday’s competition started at 7am with competitors kicking off the event with a 3.5-mile run and an 800-metre swim.
However, as athletes started crossing the finish line, organisers quickly noticed that Dukic hadn’t been seen for some time after he entered the water.
Emergency services were called around 8am local time and dive teams along with drones were launched to try and recover Dukic.
Sadly, the athlete’s body was found an hour after the first divers went into the water.
Police said he was declared dead at the scene.
Timeline of CrossFit Games drowning
6:58 am – Fort Worth police officers were on the scene
7 am – Run-swim event started
7:37 am – Swimmer shown struggling for air and slowing down on the live stream
8 am – Fire department received calls reporting drowning
10 am – Body pulled from water and event’s live stream suspended
12:48 pm – CrossFit shared statement
How did Lazar Dukic die?
The cause and manner of Dukic’s death is not immediately clear, according to The Washington Post.
The Serbian athlete had previously participated in the CrossFit Games four years in a row and also won the 2024 Europe Semifinal, according to his CrossFit bio.
Dukic was ranked 88th worldwide in the male category and placed in the top three in his home country.
What have the CrossFit community said about Lazar Dukic’s death?
After divers recovered Dukic’s body the rest of Thursday’s events were cancelled.
Don Faul, CrossFit’s chief executive, said: “We’re doing everything in our power during this tragic time to support the family, to support our community.”
Don added that Dukic’s death had deeply affected the other competitors.
“CrossFit is in some ways like a family,” he added.
“People care a lot about each other, and there’s people in the community that are hurting right now, that are really sad, that knew the athlete well, that loved and respected this person.”
Gijs Spaans said: “He had an incredible work ethic with his athletics career but, you know, always also made time to speak to people and make time for them.”
Dukic had taken part in this year’s event with his brother Luka.
In a video shared to Instagram on Wednesday, Lazar Dukic said: “And I can’t let my brother beat me.
“So, yeah, it’s just a great push to have him.”
Dukic’s longtime sponsors and partners launched a GoFundMe to support the family of an athlete who they said was “known for his kindness, humor, and supportive nature.”
What are the CrossFit Games?
- The competition began in 2007 in Aromas, California
- Events include track and field, gymnastics, weightlifting, decathlon, distance swims, obstacle courses, handstand walking, sled pushes, rope climbs, and object carries
- Each year, athletes must prepare for a variety of events that aren’t disclosed beforehand
- Athletes must participate in the Open before moving on to the Games
- Only 40 men, 40 women, 140 masters athletes, 40 teenage athletes, 40 teams, and 30 worldwide athletes are invited to participate in the Games
- Athletes can participate with a team or as an individual