CrossFit athlete Lazar Đukić drowns in Texas competition

An athlete participating in a CrossFit competition in Texas drowned in a swimming event early Thursday morning, reports say.
While 2024 CrossFit Games organizers and authorities did not immediately release to the athlete’s identity, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office records indicate that Lazar Đukić , a 28-year-old CrossFit champion, died at Fort Worth’s Marine Creek Lake around 10:24 a.m.
Elite athletes from all over the world, including Đukić, flocked to the city for the 2024 CrossFit Games, an annual competition dubbed the “definitive test of fitness” to earn the title of “Fittest on Earth” by participating in a number of physical challenges from Thursday through Sunday, according to the 2024 CrossFit Games website.
The 2024 CrossFit Games officially kicked off around 7 a.m., with Đukić and other athletes, tasked with completing three rounds of activities for “Lake Day,” the first event of the competition.
The victim had already completed a 3.5 mile run and was swimming his way across Marine Creek Lake when he began to have difficulty keeping his head above water. The racer drowned moments later.
Here’s what we know.
CrossFit Games issued a statement Thursday morning on social media, writing that they were “deeply saddened” by the loss of a CrossFit Games competitor during the swimming portion of the Individual Event 1. The organization said they were “fully cooperating with authorities” and doing “everything they could to support” the athlete’s family.
All of the games scheduled for Thursday were cancelled, but it’s not immediately clear if the games will continue as scheduled.
USA TODAY has reached out to game organizers for additional comment.
Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz