CrossFit athlete Lazar Đukić said hours before drowning in Fort Worth: ‘Goal is podium’
Tragedy struck the CrossFit Games in Fort Worth on Thursday when Serbian athlete Lazar Đukić apparently drowned at the age of 28 during the swim portion of the competition on its opening day.
Authorities have confirmed Đukić’s death.
Đukić was one of the game’s top athletes and laid out his goals for this year’s competition on his Instagram on Wednesday while praising his brother, Luka, for pushing him in competition. Both were competing together in Fort Worth.
“My goal this year is podium for sure, for the win you always need a bit of luck, but for the podium it’s fitness. Definitely this year for me, goal is podium, and stay there for multiple years” said Đukić. “I know [my brother] is always working all the time next to me. So he pushes me hard both mentally and physically.
The swimming race took place at the 250-acre Marine Creek Lake early on Thursday morning, about 7 miles northwest of downtown.
Đukić was an accomplished CrossFit athlete with three top-10 finishes in the last three years at the games. He had a deep passion for the sport, introducing it to his brother Luka.
Luka and Lazar both qualified for the 2024 CrossFit Games after taking fifth and first place in the European Semifinal competition.
Luka posted this picture to Instagram on Wednesday with the caption, “Blood is thicker than water, from the cradle to the grave, my soulmate, my brother.”
Đukić started his athletic career as a water polo player, one of the most popular sports in Serbia, and eventually transitioned to CrossFit during his time in the United States. He was introduced to it by his roommate.
The Barbell Spin, a popular CrossFit Instagram, posted ‘Pray for Lazar,” to their story around 9 a.m. and announced the cancellation of the remainder of the day’s events.
CrossFit posted on X the confirmation of the death of a competitor but did not name the athlete.
An estimated 10,000 people are in Fort Worth for the CrossFit Games, including elite athletes from 33 countries. This is the first time the competition has come to Texas. the CrossFit Games are scheduled to continue at Dickies Arena through Sunday.
Đukić sponsor FITAID paid its respects to the Serbian athlete and linked to a GoFundMe started to support his family and donated $15,000. The GoFundMe had raised almost $200,000 by around 5 p.m. Thursday.
Crowds had gathered at Marine Creek Lake before dawn on Thursday to watch the first race. Kaitlin Pritchard from Midlothian was one of them and was horrified by the tragedy.
“We didn’t totally know what was going on before they asked us to leave,” Pritchard told the Star-Telegram.
Pritchard was standing by the finish line and saw Đukić round the final corner as part of the first group of swimmers who were getting close to shore. She also heard his name called over the loudspeaker along with the names of other athletes who were nearing the finish line.
MORE: Follow the latest updates on this story from our breaking news team here.
Staff writer Harriet Ramos contributed to this story.
This story was originally published August 8, 2024 at 12:04 PM.
