CrossFit athlete Lazar Đukić drowns during competition in Texas

An athlete participating in a CrossFit competition in Texas drowned in a swimming event at a Fort Worth lake Thursday morning.
While 2024 CrossFit Games organizers and authorities did not immediately release to the athlete’s identity, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office records indicate that Lazar Đukić , a 28-year-old CrossFit champion, died at Fort Worth’s Marine Creek Lake around 10:24 a.m.
Elite athletes from all over the world, including Đukić, flocked to the city for the 2024 CrossFit Games, an annual competition dubbed the “definitive test of fitness” to earn the title of “Fittest on Earth” by participating in a number of physical challenges from Thursday through Sunday, according to the 2024 CrossFit Games website.
The 2024 CrossFit Games officially kicked off around 7 a.m., with Đukić and other athletes, tasked with completing three rounds of activities for “Lake Day,” the first event of the competition.
The victim had already completed a 3.5 mile run and was swimming his way across Marine Creek Lake when he began to have difficulty keeping his head above water. The racer drowned moments before crossing the finish line.
The Fort Worth Police Department and the Fort Worth Fire Department did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s requests for comment.
Here’s what we know.
Craig Trojacek, Fort Worth Fire spokesperson, said at a Thursday press conference that firefighters responded to a 911 call to assist the Fort Worth Police Department at Marine Creek Lake around 8 a.m. The nature of the call changed quickly, with authorities asking fire to assist with the search for a missing competitor, who had not been seen for some time.
Crews were able to recover the body of the missing athlete about an hour after the first diver from the search and rescue team went into the water.
“Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to the family members that were affected today in this tragic event, the CrossFit community and the community here in Fort Worth, Texas,” Trojacek said.
Don Faul, CrossFit Games CEO, also addressed the media at the conference, answering questions about safety protocols.
“For an event like this we have a full planned and documented safety plan. We had safety personnel on site throughout the event. All of the details around the process, the event and what unfolded today, that’ll be part of the details that we work through very closely with authorities,” Faul said. “That’ll be part of the information that’s to come as part of the investigation.”
CrossFit Games issued a statement Thursday morning on social media, writing that they were “deeply saddened” by the loss of a CrossFit Games competitor during the swimming portion of the Individual Event 1. The organization said they were “fully cooperating with authorities” and doing “everything they could to support” the athlete’s family.
All of the games scheduled for Thursday were canceled. “The well-being of competitors is our first priority, and we are heartbroken by this tragic event,” the post said.
Later Thursday, CrossFit posted a tribute to Đukić and said the competition would continue on Friday.
“Today is the saddest day in CrossFit history. We are shattered by the loss of Lazar Đukić along with the entire CrossFit community,” the X post said, noting that the athlete was “fiercely competitive, incurably joyful and uncommonly kind.”
“The first instinct is to shut down. To isolate. To mourn. But the only cure for grief is to grieve. And the best way to grieve is together. In our community, coming together to do hard things is how we pay tribute. In this spirit, we have decided to move forward with the 2024 CrossFit Games. This weekend is dedicated to Lazar Đukić. We will open tomorrow at 10:00 am.”
USA TODAY has reached out to game organizers for additional comment.
Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz