CrossFit Games athlete Lazar Dukic shared tragic last post about hard work & dedication hours before he drowned mid-race

CROSSFIT athlete Lazar Dukic, 28, shared his excitement to participate in the annual event just hours before he drowned during the competition.

Dukic drowned during the CrossFit Games’ first event on Thursday morning.

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He was competing in the swim-run challenge, which began with a 3.5-mile run and an 800-meter swim.

CrossFit enthusiasts tuned into the live stream at 8 am to see Dukic struggling to stay above water and gasping for air.

Police later confirmed they responded to a drowning shortly after and Dukic died at the scene.

Just hours before he died, Dukic was active on social media in anticipation of the games.

He shared a series of photos on his Instagram Stories including a snap of him smiling in the locker room.

“Fun afternoon discovering the games drop [eye emoji],” Dukic wrote.

He then added a photo of himself with a shoe pretending it was a phone and captioned it, “Ready for duty.”

Next, Dukic shared behind-the-scenes images talking to correspondents at the games.

He was seen smiling in the photo and wrote, “Fun chat with @tommymarquez & @laurenkalil for @talkingelitefitness.”

Lastly, Dukic posted a photo of himself backstage at the event and wrote, “Kicking things off 2pm Europe Time” with a link to watch the live stream.

Less than a day before his death, Dukic also shared a touching video about his brother.

The video included a montage of his training footage and clips of himself answering questions with Wod Proof, a cross-training recording app.

“I know somebody is working all the time next to me,” Dukic said with a smile when answering a question about his brother, Luka.

“He pushes me hard, both mentally and physically and I can’t let my brother beat me,” Dukic laughed.

“It’s a great push to have him and I was so happy to see him qualify,” he said of Luka.

Dukic’s brother, Luka, is also a CrossFit athlete and was competing in the games alongside him.

Timeline of CrossFit Games drowning

6:58 am – Fort Worth police officers were on the scene

7 am – Run-swim event started

7:37 am – Swimmer shown struggling for air and slowing down on the live stream

8 am – Fire department received calls reporting drowning

10 am – Body pulled from water and event’s live stream suspended

12:48 pm – CrossFit shared statement

‘STAY CONSISTENT, WORK HARD’

Dukic talked about his preparation for the games and how he got into a competitive mindset in his last interview.

“I just say to myself – your competitors are working hard and you need to work hard,” he said.

“For me – the main thing is train harder than you will compete.

“Stay consistent, work hard, and you’ll be ready.”

The CrossFit Games honored Dukic on X writing, “We are devastated by the passing of Lazar Đukić. Our hearts are with Lazar’s entire family, friends, and fellow athletes.”

“Out of respect for the family and in cooperation with the Fort Worth Police Department, we will share updates when possible.”

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CrossFit Games 2024

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HORROR SCENE

Dukic died by drowning while participating in the first event of this year’s CrossFit Games.

Viewers tuned into the live stream and saw him struggling to stay above water before vanishing.

Emergency responders immediately arrived on the scene and recovered a body from Marine Creek Lake in Fort Worth, Texas – just an hour into the competition.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner confirmed to local ABC affiliate, WFAA News that the body recovered was Dukic.

CrossFit CEO Don Faul spoke to reporters later in the day and tearfully gave an update on the incident.

“We’re doing everything in our power during this tragic time to support the family, to support our community,” Faul said.

He added that CrossFit was collaborating with authorities in an active investigation.

Another athlete participating in the event, Cole Learn, shared his devastating perspective on the tragedy.

“For everybody asking for updates at the CrossFit Games, we watched Lazar go under and we screamed for lifeguards,” Learn said through tears in a video posted to his Instagram Story.

“We were pretty far away so it was tough to do anything else but we were yelling for lifeguards.”

Learn explained that the athletes continued to yell for lifeguards but they couldn’t hear them.

“I’m absolutely devastated and that’s not something that I wanted to watch,” he added.

The rest of Thursday’s events were canceled in light of Dukic’s death, however, it is unclear if the games will continue their scheduled competitions on Friday and Saturday.

What are the CrossFit Games?

• The competition began in 2007 in Aromas, California
• Events include track and field, gymnastics, weightlifting, decathlon, distance swims, obstacle courses, handstand walking, sled pushes, rope climbs, and object carries
• Each year, athletes must prepare for a variety of events that aren’t disclosed beforehand
• Athletes must participate in the Open before moving on to the Games
• Only 40 men, 40 women, 140 masters athletes, 40 teenage athletes, 40 teams, and 30 worldwide athletes are invited to participate in the Games
• Athletes can participate with a team or as an individual