The CrossFit world is in mourning. In mourning and in shock. While competing in a circuit competition in Texas on Thursday crossfitterAn athlete drowned in Lake Marine Creek. If that were not tragic enough in itself, what happened in the United States is magnified and aggravated by three other factors, each more shocking: First, the deceased was an experienced and decorated athlete who had led the rankings of his country, Serbia. Second, the incident occurred during the CrossFit Games, one of the most important events for fans of this sport.

But the most terrifying element of all is the third element: the tragedy was broadcast live and the recording, which circulated on the Internet for hours, also shows how, although there were security guards supervising the test in the lake, no one noticed that one of the contestants had drowned.

Tragedy in Texas. What was supposed to be the first individual Workout of the Day (WOD) on Thursday ended in tragedy. Serbian athlete Lazar Dukic lost his life yesterday while participating in a test consisting of a 3.5-mile race and a 800-meter swim. The tragedy occurred while he and several other competitors were swimming in the waters of Marine Creek Lake near Fort Worth, Texas.

According to local emergency services, in the early morning hours, at around 8 a.m. local time, Lazar Dukic went under water and did not resurface. The Serb’s body was found an hour later after a search team consisting of Fort Worth Police divers and drones was dispatched to the area.

“The saddest day in CrossFit”. It didn’t take long for the organization to make a statement. Shortly after the tragedy, those responsible for the CrossFit Games acknowledged that they were “deeply saddened” by what happened and announced that other events scheduled for Thursday would be suspended. “The well-being of our competitors is our top priority and we are heartbroken,” they stressed.

That initial message was followed by others. The final tweet went a little further: The organization has decided to continue testing. “The only cure for grief is to grieve. And the best way to do that is to be together.”

Who was Lazar Dukic? At 28 years old, he is a board-holding athlete who has managed to carve out a highly respected place for himself in the CrossFit world. His CrossFit Games dossier details that he is one of the strongest athletes in the discipline in Serbia, ranking first or second in the men’s category since 2020 and has been among the Top 100 in the world for several years.

Turkey, which rose to 34th place in 2023, was ranked 81st and 29th in the European rankings this year. In addition to his success in CrossFit, Dukic devoted himself to playing water polo. CrossFit director Don Faul told the BBC, “Beyond his sporting achievements, he was a caring, fun and tirelessly supportive person,” and assured that he was a “respected” athlete.

So what are the CrossFit Games? An annual CrossFit competition that began in 2007 and measures athletes’ physical capabilities with different tests. The official website of the Crossfit Games, a reference in the circuit, explains, “The Games change every year and often details are not revealed until just before each event. Athletes train all year long for a competition that is almost entirely mysterious.” crossfitter has an international impact.

The organizers had planned a series of tests for today and tomorrow, primarily to: planning “After careful consideration and many internal discussions with the athletes and Dukic’s family, it has been decided that the CrossFit Games will continue through the remainder of the weekend at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas,” officials told CBS News.

The million dollar questionIf there is one question about the Games, CrossFit, and sports in general, it is another: How did the tragedy happen? Or rather, why wasn’t it prevented? If the fact that a professional athlete like Dukic drowned in the heart of CrossFit’s headquarters wasn’t enough content to garner international attention, there are two more details that make this tragedy even bloodier. When it happened, there were proctors supervising the test who didn’t understand what was happening. And the scene was broadcast on television.

A short video, apparently taken of Dukic swimming with other competitors in Lake Marine Creek, has been circulating on social networks and websites around the world for hours. The footage shows how the Serbian athlete stopped moving at a certain moment, as he approached the finish line, and began struggling in the water without the guards noticing. At around eight in the morning local time, a call came to Fort Worth emergency services reporting the tragedy.

Image | CrossFit Games

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