By Keely Johnson of the ABC
Athletes paid tribute to Lazar Dukic when the CrossFit Games resumed. Photo: Facebook / CrossFit Games
Members of the Australian CrossFit community say they are reeling following the death of a competitor during an event at the CrossFit Games in the United States, with athletes starting to question the safety of the competition.
Serbian athlete Lazar Dukic, 28, died during the competition, which brings together the top 40 athletes from around the world to determine what organisers call "the fittest man and woman on Earth".
Competitors had finished a 5-kilometre run and were doing an 800-metre open-water swim, when the tragedy unfolded.
In a live stream of the incident, Dukic can be seen struggling to swim, before disappearing underwater, despite lifeguards appearing to be only a few metres away.
A dive team was called in and Dukic's body was later recovered from the water.
Lazar Dukic died during the swimming leg of the event on day one of the games. Photo: Facebook / CrossFit Games
The rest of the events scheduled for day one of the competition were cancelled, however the games resumed the following day.
Dukic was remembered by organisers as a "remarkable athlete, brother, son, partner, and friend" during an emotional tribute at the games.
Community devastated
The news of Dukic's death has sent shock waves throughout the CrossFit community, with hundreds of athletes and fans taking to social media to post tributes to Dukic and his family.
In Australia, 22-year-old Tom Woodham is a CrossFit coach on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, and told triple j Hack that the news had come as a massive shock to people at his gym.
"I think a lot of people just thought 'How could this happen'?" he told Hack.
"The feeling across everyone is just disappointment, sadness and just devastated by it."
He said it also made him question his own safety when competing.
Tom Woodham said the news of Lazar's death shocked the CrossFit community. Photo: Instagram / CrossFit 2444
"It did make me think for a moment, 'If they're not going to care about the top 40 [athletes], why would they care about me'?"
CrossFit is a branded fitness program that includes different types of exercise, including interval training, weights and gymnastics.
The organisation behind the CrossFit Games has been the target of widespread criticism online this week for its handling of the incident, and the decision to continue the games.
In a statement posted on social media, the organisation said it had made the decision to continue, after consulting Dukic's family.
"After careful thought and many conversations internally, with athletes, and with Lazar Dukic's family, it's been decided that the CrossFit Games will continue throughout the remainder of the weekend," the statement read.
Competitors question safety
CrossFit chief executive Don Faul released a video statement following the incident, saying the organisation had brought in a third-party to investigate.
"We must understand what happened and do everything in our power to make sure it doesn't happen again," he said.
"The safety of our athletes is our most important responsibility, and this tragedy happened on our watch."
Nine-time CrossFit Games competitor Brent Fikowski voiced his concerns on social media.
"When they say, 'Safety is our number one priority', I simply have not believed this to be true for a long time," his post read.
"I believe their top priority has always been their subjective definition of 'the test.'"
According to CrossFit's website, the games are "world-renowned as the definitive test of fitness".
The website also says athletes are tested against a variety of unannounced events, such as distance swims, obstacle courses, handstand walking and odd-object carries, and competitors are required to "train for the unknown".
In his post, Fikowski said athletes were asking questions about how organisers were going to manage the heat in the lead-up to the games being held in Texas.
He said those questions went mostly unanswered.
Leaving the CrossFit brand
One gym in Sydney, formerly known as CrossFit Botany, has walked away from the brand.
Dukic was an ambassador for the gym and considered "one of our closest friends" by management, according to posts on social media this week.
In a statement, the company said continuing the games did not feel like the appropriate path forward, influencing their decision.
"We will continue to encourage the methodologies that have changed the lives of millions of people around the world," the statement read.
"However, we will be doing so no longer in unity with CrossFit."
The gym this week rebranded to no longer include "CrossFit" in its name.
Expert says death a 'rare event'
Exercise physiologist Kim Way, from the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Deakin University in Melbourne, told triple j Hack that the death of an athlete at a sporting event was uncommon.
"The main thing that we sort of want to stress here is that it's a very rare event, particularly in young individuals," she told Hack.
"Lazar was training ... that actually puts him at a far lower risk ... but unfortunately, in younger individuals, the main cause of these really sudden death occurrences is inherited conditions with the heart, where a lot of people don't really show any signs or symptoms."
The cause of Dukic's death remains under investigation.
Dr Way also said CrossFit as a sport was a great form of exercise, however, people should be aware of their own limitations.
"We have to remember that everybody has a different capability, different exercise history and also different medical histories," she said.
"So [we need to] make sure the levels of exercise meet the needs of the people who want to come to CrossFit gyms.
"Most gyms are really good at this."
- ABC
