Lazar Đukić’s brother breaks silence – hours after CrossFit Games swimmer drowned in first day of event
CROSSFIT star Luka Đukić has broken his silence after his brother Lazar Đukić drowned in the first event of the competition.
The Serbian athlete died Thursday morning on the first day of the 2024 CrossFit Games in Fort Worth, Texas.
Now his brother, Luka, a two-time CrossFit games athlete who was competing alongside Lazar, has shared a heartbreaking picture on Instagram.
A black and white photograph of the pair hugging is pinned to the top of his account.
No caption has been added by the grief-stricken athlete and no comments can be posted underneath it.
FIGHTING FOR LIFE
The 28-year-old vanished under the water during a live stream of the event on Marine Creek Lake after being seen 100 meters from the end of the 800-meter swim.
The swimming segment of the event came after a 3.5-mile run.
Around 7:35 am, Đukić was seen by spectators struggling to stay above water and gasping for air.
Just 25 minutes later, the Fire Department responded to calls of a reported drowning.
Emergency crews pulled Đukić’s body from the lake about two hours after he disappeared from view.
The cause of death of the four-time CrossFit athlete has not yet been listed by The Tarrant County medical examiner’s office.
Đukić, also a talented water polo player was excited to participate in the annual event that seeks to crown “the fittest man and the fittest woman on Earth.”
Ahead of Thursday’s event, Lazar excitedly shared on Instagram the live stream which would capture the moments leading to his death.
“Kicking things off 2 pm Europe Time,” he wrote with a link to the first event and a picture of him smiling into a camera.
A series of other tragic last posts were shared with fans on his Instagram about hard work and dedication.
Meanwhile, Luka had taken to Instagram just days before the tragedy to share footage of the pair training for the games.
“Did possible route for Event 1 of the @crossfitgames this morning with the shark @lazadjukic,” Luka wrote in a post.
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
“Final prep is going down in Forth Worth.”
An attached compilation showed the brothers running side-by-side and then swimming in the water before meeting each other on the edge of a lake.
Thursday’s event was Luka’s first time back at the CrossFit games in two years.
“Would never have crossed their minds that the events of the first workout could go so very wrong…” one Instagram user commented below the video.
“Luka, our hearts go out to you and your family.”
“This is scary to watch right now,” another said after learning about Đukić’s death.
Following Lazar’s death, all events were canceled on Thursday.
‘WE SCREAMED’
After the tragic incident, fellow CrossFit athlete Cole Learn shared an emotional video where he detailed what happened.
“We watched Lazar go under and we screamed for lifeguards,” he said in a video posted to his Story.
“We were pretty far away so it was tough to do anything else but we were yelling for lifeguards.”
As he spoke through tears, the athlete said that the lifeguard couldn’t hear the cries for help and that the Lazar “just never came back up.”
“CrossFit is deeply saddened by the death of a CrossFit Games competitor during the swimming portion of Individual Event 1 at the 2024 CrossFit Games,” CrossFit said in a statement.
“We are fully cooperating with authorities and doing everything we can to support the family at this time.”
