Gerrard Kaonga
The CEO of CrossFit has issued a new statement following the tragic death of an athlete during a competition.
Lazar Dukic was taking part in a CrossFit swimming event on Marine Creek Lake near to the city of Fort Worth, Texas, on August 8 when he failed to come above the water only 100m from the finish line.
In harrowing footage, viewers of the CrossFit Games saw the Serbian athlete struggle during the swimming part of the competition, resulting in him eventually going under the water.
According to officials from Fort Worth emergency services, the 28-year-old disappeared under the water and did not resurface. It took an hour to recover Dukic’s body after the alarm was raised.
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Initially, the CrossFit Games were suspended and believed to be canceled in order for organizers to 'fully cooperate with authorities'. However, they will now continue.
Following news of his death, the event issued the statement: "We are devastated by the passing of Lazar Dukic. 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."
The CEO of CrossFit, Don Faul, has since issued a follow up statement on Instagram.
Earlier today (August 11), he explained that an independent investigation had been launched and defended the decision to continue the games this weekend.
“We are all devastated by what happened on Thursday,” he said “We mourn the loss of Lazar and our hearts ache for his family, friends and fellow athletes.
“The safety of our athletes is our most important responsibility and this tragedy happened on our watch.”
He continued: “We have initiated an independent third-party investigation to thoroughly understand the circumstances surrounding the event.
“We will provide transparency around the investigation as it progresses while respecting the privacy and wishes of those directly affected.”
Faul continued to explain that the organization was committed to implementing any changes deemed necessary due to the investigation.
When speaking on the reason as to why the games were continuing, Faul admitted that he is aware not everyone agrees with the decision to move forward.
He also said that the decision to continue put the athletes in a difficult situation and asked the public to respect their decision on whether they choose to continue or not.
A GoFundme page has also been set up for Lazar since his death. So far, almost $400,000 has been raised following over 7,000 donations.