Lazar Dukić, a 28-year-old Serbian athlete, was found dead on Thursday during a lake swimming event organized by the CrossFit Games in Texas, the Associated Press reported.
Fort Worth Fire Department (FWFD) officials said they were contacted by police around 8 a.m. and assisted in the search for “an individual who was in the water and had not been seen for some time.” reportFWFD officials added that the swimmer's body was found about an hour later.
The Tarrant County coroner's office released the identity of the person who died but did not disclose the cause of death, according to the outlet. The CrossFit Games announced on Twitter that it was “deeply saddened” to learn of Dukic's death “during individual event 1 swimming at the 2024 CrossFit Games.”
“We are cooperating fully with authorities and are doing all we can to support the family at this time,” the tweet read. (Related: Olympic swimmer Tamara Potocka collapses immediately after race, medical staff rush to her aid)
— CrossFit Games (@CrossFitGames) August 8, 2024
CrossFit added in a tweet that it had “cancelled” the remaining events scheduled for Thursday. “We are doing all we can to support the family and community during this tragic time,” CrossFit CEO Don Fall said at a press conference, according to the Associated Press. Cameron Hogg tweeted that footage from the swim meet showed “spectators” jumping into the lake.
If you look to the far right, you can see spectators jumping into the water. Lazar is still missing. I hope everyone is okay, but it's terrifying. #CrossFit #CrossFitGame #RunSwim pic.twitter.com/WbnNnsCphO
— Cameron Hogg (@Camhogg70) August 8, 2024
In his final message on Instagram, Dukić spoke about his motivation for the sport. “'This is the only thing I'm good at, so why not do it?'” he said in the video, recalling someone else asking him. Dukić advised people to “practice hard rather than compete in competitions.”
The CrossFit Games began in 2007 as “the first competitive event to objectively measure fitness,” according to the games website. ClaimedBiography of Dukić Listed The tournament's website ranked him as the 88th best player in the world among men competing in the tournament.
