The CrossFit Games Are Suspended Following a Tragic Death

SERBIAN CROSSFIT ATHLETE Lazar Đukić drowned during event one of the 2024 CrossFit Games earlier today. He was reportedly seen struggling in the water during CrossFit’s livestream.

The event kicked off at 7 a.m. local time (8 a.m. EST). CrossFit CEO Don Faul officially announced that an athlete died during a press conference streamed by WFAA at around 12:30 p.m. EST.

Faul also announced that the rest of the events for day one have been canceled. “We’ll continue to be focused on supporting our community and the family through this tragic set of circumstances,” he said on the livestream.

Details around the event are still developing. Here’s what we know so far:

• Event one consisted of a 3.5-mile run followed by an 800-meter swim for time. It started at 7 a.m. local time (CST) at Marine Creek Lake, located in Fort Worth, TX.
• Local authorities received a call around 8 a.m. after officials realized Dukic had not finished the event.
• CBS News Texas then reported that an athlete had drowned around 8 a.m., and a body was seen taken out of the lake in a body bag.

Soon after the news broke, the reception online was a mix of sadness and anger, with many commenters calling into question whether CrossFit had done enough to ensure athlete safety. During the live-streamed conference, Faul said:

“We have, for an event like this, a fully documented safety plan. We had safety personnel on-site for the event. All of the details around the process, the event, what unfolded today, that’ll be a part of the details that we work on with authorities.”

Update: CrossFit announced late Thursday that it will restart the Games on Friday, August 9th.

Advertisement – Continue Reading Below