Insight Tribune

CrossFit Games athlete drowns in Texas lake during swimming portion of competition


A CrossFit Games athlete drowned in Marine Creek Lake in Fort Worth, Texas, Thursday morning during a swimming event. 

According to Fox 4, the Fort Worth Police Department is not releasing the identity of the athlete until the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s report is complete and the victim’s family is notified. 

Serbian athlete Lazar Đukić, 28, has been identified by several reports as the athlete who vanished during the swimming portion of the competition. 

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An aerial view of CrossFit Games athletes standing at the edge of Marine Creek Lake in Fort Worth, Texas.  (FOX 4)

Đukić was last seen toward the end of the 800-meter swim, which was being livestreamed for the 2024 CrossFit Games. 

The CrossFit Games later announced the rest of the day’s events were suspended after the drowning. 

“CrossFit is deeply saddened by the death of a CrossFit Games competitor during the swimming portion of Individual Event 1 at the 2024 CrossFit Games,” the statement said. 

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“We are fully cooperating with authorities and doing everything we can to support the family at this time.

“The remainder of today’s events have been suspended. The well-being of competitors is our first priority, and we are heartbroken by this tragic event.”

Aerial view of CrossFit Games tent

An aerial picture of a CrossFit Games tent in Fort Worth, Texas.  (FOX 4)

The event began Thursday at 7 a.m., according to the CrossFit website. It involved a 3½-mile run after the 800-meter swim. 

However, police and fire departments were called in around 8 a.m., and those in helicopters saw a boat searching around a buoy in the middle of the lake. 

The body was later recovered by the Fort Worth Fire Department around 10 a.m. 

The Fort Worth Police and fire department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

An aerial view of a boat in Marine Creek Lake, where a 2024 CrossFit Games athlete drowned. (FOX 4)

This is the first time the event has been in Fort Worth. The CrossFit Games is a four-day competition, with athletes from 33 countries vying to earn the title of “Fittest on Earth.”

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Đukić has competed in multiple CrossFit Games in the past, ranking third in Serbia and 88th overall in the world among men. 

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