The CrossFit Games in Fort Worth resumed on Friday following a poignant tribute to athlete Lazar Dukic, who tragically drowned during a race.
Event organizers reflected deeply on how to proceed after Dukic’s untimely death.
Dukic, originally from Serbia, drowned in Marine Creek Lake on Thursday, the competition’s opening day.
Earlier that morning, he had expressed his enthusiasm for competing by posting photos on his social media, having just completed a 3.5-mile run and was about to finish a half-mile open water swim when he went under the surface.
Kaitlin Pritchard, a CrossFit enthusiast from North Texas, witnessed Dukic struggling in the water but did not immediately recognize it as a serious situation. She mentioned that other participants also appeared fatigued.
“What happened is the last thing anyone would have expected,” Pritchard stated. “You just don’t think these things are going to happen. These are elite athletes. And to think that 30ish minutes later, one of the fittest people in the world is just gone like that… it doesn’t matter that you’re one of the fittest people in the world. Stuff can happen. Life is fragile. And you just never know.”
In the aftermath of the accident, the CrossFit Games were temporarily suspended on Thursday.
After careful deliberation and discussions with Dukic’s family, organizers decided to continue the events at Dickies Arena throughout the weekend.
Friday’s activities opened with a heartfelt tribute to Dukic.