The 2024 CrossFit Games have ended, but they will always be marked by the death of Lazar Dukic during the competition, an event that has raised significant concerns about athlete safety.

In a recent post, Brent Fikowski, the third-place finisher at the CrossFit Games, spoke out to push for improved safety policies during CrossFit events to prevent another tragic chapter in the history of this organization, which aims to find the "fittest" man and woman on the planet.

It was in an Instagram post that the Canadian athlete discussed the creation of the Professional Fitness Athletes Association (PFAA), aimed at safeguarding the safety of participants.

“When we propose constructive feedback, the sentiment we´re left with is: “Don’t Worry, we got this. Just trust us. We have a better understanding of this than you do”. The problem is no one of their team has competed or coached in this sport at the high level. Also, they won’t let athletes be involved in the process because everything they do has to be  shrouded in mystery.

Whilst I know that Crossfit does not aim to hurt anybody, when they say, “safety is our number one priority”, I simply have not believed this to be true for a loing time. I believe their top priority has always been their subjective definition of ‘the test’ and the creative freedom they wish to exent when inventing these workouts. Athlete safety comes, at best, a paltry second, and this past weekend, that strategy went terribly wrong with the most tragic of consequences.

I never thought it would be something as bad as one of our friends drawing in a lake. I’ll be honest; I was worried about avoiding of the same safety issues we’ve tried to solve in the past: a knee injury caused  by doing a max back squat at a wet wooden platform in the rain; an injury from landing on a coiled climbing rope; achilles injuriesfrom rebounding box jumps; 36 out of 320 men experiencing pectoral tears in three consecutive weeks of Regionals with no programming alterations; or illness from E. coli bacteria in a lake.

It’s a Pattern of behavior. It’s their repeated attitude to our concerns. We try to provide feedback. They don’t listen".

“To provide clear, unambiguous evidence of this, let me set out in detail, how we as the PFAA, tried to get more clarity on the heat in Texas for this year’s Crossfit Games”, he wrote, before outlining instances of communication with inadequate responses from the organization.

He concluded with a harsh comment: "Lazar is dead, nothing will bring him back," referencing the tragic events as a warning that they must work together for the well-being of the athletes and the sport they "love so much."

What happened to Lazar Dukic at the 2024 CrossFit Games?

During Event 1 of the 2024 CrossFit Games, the Serbian athlete disappeared in the final stretch of the swim, about 100 meters from the finish line. Later, the competition organizers reported that he had passed away.

"CrossFit is deeply saddened by the death of one of the competitors at the 2024 CrossFit Games."

The statement also noted that the organization is closely cooperating with authorities: "We are working in full cooperation with the authorities and doing everything possible to support the family during this difficult time."

Several attendees reported seeing Dukic struggling in the water. Additionally, during the live broadcast of the CrossFit Games, the Serbian athlete could be seen from a distance experiencing difficulties staying afloat.