‘Beyond devastated’: CrossFit world reacts to athlete’s death at Fort Worth competition
Social media tributes poured out online as the CrossFit world reacted to the death of a Serbian athlete in Fort Worth’s Marine Creek Lake on Thursday morning.
The athlete, 28-year old Lazar Dukic, was competing in a running and swimming event when he went missing not far from the finish line, according to eyewitnesses at the scene.
Officials with Fort Worth Fire Department pulled his body from Marine Creek Lake around 10 a.m..
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner later officially identified the body as that of Dukic.
“Lazar is a beloved member of our team and has been like family over these years,” officials with the European energy drink company FitAid wrote in a statement on Instagram.
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“On behalf of the entire FITAID Global Team we are beyond devastated,” the company said.
FitAid announced that it is collecting donations through a GoFundMe campaign for Dukic’s family.
The company contributed $15,000 to the fund.
A user on X (formerly Twitter) called the tragedy “unfathomable.”
Others blasted CrossFit for its response to the drowning in progress, with a Facebook user writing “CrossFit is done.”
CrossFit announced that the remainder of Thursday’s events, scheduled to take place at Dickies Arena, have been canceled.
“We are fully cooperating with authorities and doing everything we can to support the family at this time,” CrossFit Games officials said in a statement Thursday. “The remainder of today’s events have been suspended. The well-being of our competitors is our first priority.”
This story was originally published August 8, 2024 at 2:12 PM.
