CrossFit drops swimming from event following death of competitor Lazar Đukić in Fort Worth
CrossFit announced a slew of changes to its annual games and some to its organizational structure in response to the death of Lazar Đukić on Aug. 8 during a competition in Fort Worth.
Đukić died during the open swim portion of the 2024 CrossFit Games, held in Fort Worth, at Marine Creek Lake. The organization responded by asking an independent third party to investigate and provide recommendations.
“As part of the investigation process, the investigation team conducted dozens of interviews with eyewitnesses and event staff from August through November,” according to a statement from Crossfit on its website, “visited Marine Creek Lake for a thorough site visit, reviewed many documents related to the operations of the CrossFit Games...reviewed industry standards and operating procedures relating to water safety at professional sporting events,” including open-water swims.
The statement said experts “and interviewed external specialists on safety standards for open-water swims. It also interviewed experts who “research and study medical issues for elite competitive athletes,” according to the statement.
CrossFit outlined six steps to avoid similar incidents in the future, one of which was the suspension of open water swimming events. Crossfit said if swimming returns it would only be in a controlled environment, such as a pool.
Two of the other steps involved new advisory groups for CrossFit.
The first is a CrossFit Games Safety Advisory Board, which will meet before and after events during the games and evaluate the safety conditions.
The second is a CrossFit Athlete Council that will give competitors a greater voice to advise the organization on not only safety but on competition, broader athlete welfare and the business aspect of the sport.
CrossFit will also create a new senior leadership role whose job duties will be focused on safety, pre-event rehearsals and on-site coordination with personnel while fostering a culture where athletes and organization members feel comfortable bringing up safety concerns.
CrossFit will hire mental health professionals for the upcoming games’ season to help athletes deal with sudden emergencies, stress from competition or personal emergencies.
The organization also said it would expand access and knowledge of emergency protocols while adding a specific section on safety to pre-event rehearsals. They said they will ensure athletes know where they can get help from and that they will issue written documents showcasing safety measures and protocols.
CrossFit ended their statement by saying their commitment to safety will be buoyed by these new initiatives and that they look forward to the 2025 games.
This story was originally published November 20, 2024 at 5:18 PM.
