Where is Lazar Dukic from | Athlete dies in lake during CrossFit Games in Texas
Serbian athlete Lazar Dokic, 28, died during the swimming portion of the 2024 CrossFit Games in Fort Worth.
An athlete’s lifeless body was found in a lake after a swimming event at the CrossFit Games on Thursday – an annual competition that seeks to crown the “fittest man and fittest woman on Earth”. is and this year is being held in Fort Worth.
Fitness company CrossFit and the Tarrant County medical examiner identified the athlete as Lazar Dukic, 28, of Serbia. The cause and manner of his death were not immediately clear.
The competition begins at 7 a.m. Thursday with a 3.5-mile run and 800-meter swim. But as about 40 international athletes began to emerge from Marine Creek Lake and jog to the finish line, event organizers realized that Doak had not completed the event and had not been seen for some time. , officials said at a news conference Thursday.
Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman Craig Trujask said authorities called search and rescue crews around 8 a.m., reporting a “water participant” was missing.
Dukic’s body was found about an hour after the first diver entered the water, Trojacek said. Dukic was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
CrossFit Chief Executive Don Fall said at the news conference that safety personnel were on site during the event and that CrossFit had a “thoroughly planned and documented safety plan.” Details of the project and the events that led to Dukic’s death “will be part of the information that will be forthcoming as part of the investigation” by authorities, Fowle said, adding that the company is cooperating with authorities.
The rest of Thursday’s programs were cancelled. CrossFit, Fall said, “will remain focused on supporting our community and family during this tragic time.”
Fowle said Duke’s death had a profound effect on those who do CrossFit, a high-intensity fitness program that combines strength training, cardio and functional movements. The company has hosted the CrossFit Games for 18 years, attracting millions of participants annually. This year’s three-stage competition began in February and was scheduled to end Thursday through Sunday.
“CrossFit is like a family in some ways,” Faul said. “People care so much about each other, and there are people in the community who are hurting right now, who are really sad, who knew the player well, who loved and respected the man. There were many people mourning.”
Dukic competed in the CrossFit Games four years in a row and won the 2024 European semifinals, according to his CrossFit bio. He was also the first individual athlete to win three consecutive semi-finals and was ranked 88th worldwide, 33rd in Europe and 3rd in Serbia in the men’s category.
He and his brother Luca Duque were competing together this year.
“I know someone is working with me all the time,” Lazar Dokic said in a video shared on Instagram on Wednesday. “It pushes me hard mentally and physically. And I can’t let my brother get killed. So, yeah, it’s just a great push to get it.”
In the video, Duke describes his motivation behind the competition as “constantly asking myself, ‘How bad do you want it?’ And telling yourself, ‘Your competitors are working hard. The most important thing for me is to train harder than you will compete.’
His goal this year, he added, was to “get to the podium and stay there for many years.”
Dukic’s longtime sponsors and partners started a GoFundMe page Thursday to help the family of a player they said was “known for his kindness, humor and supportive nature.”
“Beyond his athletic accomplishments, Lazarus was caring, humorous and constantly supported those around him. His warm, supportive nature and sharp wit made an impact on everyone he met,” the GoFundMe says. He left a lasting impression on everyone he met, adding that his “legacy of approaching life with kindness and humor will always be remembered.”