Lazar Dukic

I am not one to talk about CrossFit and even less about Lazar Dukic, but I will share my feelings regarding the misfortune that occurred at the 2024 CrossFit Games.

Frozen. That's how I was when I found out what had happened. Over the years I have shared a physical space with Lazar on several occasions, and although I never spoke to him, he was someone I knew. Like everyone else, I began to watch videos from all possible perspectives that had been posted on Twitter, holding my breath and not believing what had happened.

We saw a spectator, present at the lake, jump into the water to try to save him, we felt helpless in the face of the passivity of the security guards on boards and we confirmed the cruel reality a hundred meters from the finish line.

Fatigue, heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest. Any of these could have been the preventable cause. Perhaps CrossFit will consider doing medical check-ups more frequently to accurately monitor the health of its athletes, and what about the safety of each activity that takes place in open and less controlled areas other than the track with lanes we are used to?

This weekend, CrossFit was a real disappointment to the world. It disappointed its athletes, its former athletes and its fans, those who were watching the CrossFit Games for the first time and those who followed them from the beginning. But above all, it disappointed Lazar's family and Luka. You can't imagine what he felt when he got out of the water.

Everyone was wondering if they would be cancelled or if they would continue. I was sure they would continue. The marketing, the brands, the organisation of the event and the investment of modest athletes who cannot afford not to be there. Crossfit is a business, in fact I think more than a sport, and I am not criticising that. These Games may get more views than ever, but this year I felt like I didn't want to watch them, and I didn't.

With Dedication To Lazar Dukic.