Topline
Lazar Dukic, a 28-year-old Serbian CrossFit athlete, died during the CrossFit Games swimming event in Fort Worth, Texas on Thursday, prompting the cancelation of the rest of the day’s events.
The swimming competition was one portion of the CrossFit Games individual competition. (Photo by … [+]
Key Facts
The CrossFit Games confirmed that a competitor had died during the swimming portion of Individual Event 1 at Marine Creek Lake in Fort Worth, Texas on Thursday.
The organization did not immediately release the identity of the competitor, and police told reporters the name of the athlete would not be released until the Tarrant County Medical Examiner speaks with the competitor’s family to verify their name and identity.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner identified the athlete as Dukic on Thursday afternoon, though the exact cause of death has not been listed on the medical examiner’s website.
Don Faul, CEO of CrossFit, told reporters the organization is working with local authorities on an investigation.
The Fort Worth Fire Department said it responded to a call around 8 a.m. CDT that a competitor had gone underwater and had not resurfaced, and a dive team had recovered the body an hour after responding to the incident.
Faul said a safety plan had been created for the event with safety personnel present on site.
The event was livestreamed on ESPN+ and social media platforms, though local outlet WFAA reported the livestreams stopped abruptly Thursday morning.
Key Background
The CrossFit Games are an annual competition hosted by CrossFit that test competitors’ abilities in various events, which may include sports like swimming, weightlifting, cycling and obstacle courses. The specific events are unknown to competitors before the competition begins. This year’s games began with the individual competition on Thursday, which is scheduled to end Aug. 11. The event will be followed by team competitions later this month. Dukic had previously competed in the CrossFit Games, finishing 9th in 2023 and 8th in 2022.
What To Watch For
Faul said CrossFit will be “regrouping” to discuss the remainder of the games. More events as part of the individual competition are scheduled for tomorrow, beginning at 11:20 a.m. CDT.
Crucial Quote
“There’s a lot of people in the community that are hurting right now, that are really sad, that knew the athlete well, that loved and respected this person, and a lot of people are mourning,” Faul said, adding he cannot confirm details about the athlete.
Further Reading
CrossFit Games drowning: Athlete dies in Fort Worth lake during opening competition, officials say (WFAA)
Conor Murray is a reporter covering trends in entertainment and culture. He is based in Jersey City and joined Forbes in 2022. Murray has covered the messy rollout for Kanye West’s latest album, the Stanley water bottle craze and right-wing backlash against companies deemed “woke.” He previously covered billionaires with the Forbes wealth team and covered pop culture and TikTok trends for NBC News. He graduated with a degree in political science from the University of Pennsylvania in 2022. Follow Murray for continued coverage of social media trends, celebrity controversies and the movie and music industries.
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