An athlete died while swimming in Fort Worth's Marine Creek Lake during the opening event of the multi-day CrossFit Games competition on Thursday, according to the competition's CEO.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the athlete at 28-year-old Lazar Dukic. His cause of death has not been confirmed.
Dukic had previously participated in CrossFit Games three times, according to his social media.
CrossFit CEO Don Faul said they’re working with authorities on the follow-up investigation.
“We’re doing everything in our power during this tragic time to the family, support our community,” Faul said during a news conference Thursday.
The rest of Thursday's events were canceled in the wake of the drowning, but the CrossFit Games will continue as planned through the weekend.
A statement last night from officials for the games said the decision followed careful thought, talks with athletes, and conversations with the family of Lazar Đukić.
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 (@CrossFitGames) August 9, 2024
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… pic.twitter.com/iOCdn7PCSd
In a statement Thursday, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said the city will help coordinate mental health and grief counselors.
"Our hearts go out to the athlete’s family, friends, and the entire CrossFit community," Parker said. "We take great pride in being the host city for the CrossFit Games and remain committed to working closely with CrossFit to provide a supportive community for all athletes, spectators, and visitors."
The CrossFit Games are an annual, multi-day athletic program with participants from around the world. Since 2007, 40 men and women compete in seven competitions for the title of the fittest. It's the first year the games were hosted in Fort Worth.
A video of the event posted to social media shows Dukic struggling to swim and disappearing in the water before reaching the finish line.
His death sparked reactions and mourning across the CrossFit community online. CrossFit athlete Cole Learn from Ontario told WFAA he witnessed the moments before the drowning.
"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," Learn said. "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.”
Dukic played water polo and was an athlete ambassador for FITAID, a sports drink brand, said Gijs Spaans, general manager for FITAID in Europe. Spaans, who knew Dukic for three years, described him as a driven athlete and a “guy who walks into a room and lights up the room.”
“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," Spaans said. "Just a really, really good dude.”
Spaans was watching a livestream of the swim miles away at the main event site. He was looking for Dukic among the swimmers coming out of the water before realizing he was missing.
“I thought he had this. And then all of a sudden I was thinking, ‘Why is his name not showing up in the finishes?'” Spaans said. “All the race, he was in top five of the race. And all of a sudden I see all these other people coming in. I’m like, 'What’s going on?’”
“He was in it to win it,” Spaans added. “He was a great swimmer.”
FitAid released a statement on Instagram sharing their grief.
“On behalf of the entire FITAID Global Team we are beyond devastated,” the statement read. “Lazar is a beloved member of our team and has been like family over the years. Our hearts are broken.”
Correction: Due to an editing error, this story was published with an incorrect photo. It has been updated.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
