On Aug. 8, 2024, Ðukić competed in a run-swim event consisting of a 3.5-mile run and an 800-meter swim. The event was the first in a series of competitions that make up the annual games, and Ðukić, who had placed in the top 10 competitors each year since 2021, was a favorite to win the event.
Athletes told the magazine they felt the death of their colleague was “preventable,” and that while the CrossFit organization is “responsible” for the fatality, the organization is “never going to change.” Limited water safety personnel on the lake, fluid safety protocols and a delayed response to the drowning are all detailed in the report.
“They do not treat athletes the way that other organizations treat their athletes,” Dr. Adam Schulte, a former CrossFit Games medic, told Rolling Stone. “They’re expendable. They’re disposable.”
The peak summer heat in Texas was the first challenge that presented itself on the morning of the event. By the time the first athletes entered the water around 7:20 a.m., it was already 93 degrees, Rolling Stone reports. The heat, combined with the sun rising over the horizon in precisely the direction the athletes had been instructed to swim, led to multiple athletes becoming overstimulated and panicked.
Italian athlete Elisa Fuliano told Rolling Stone reporter Calum Marsh the swim was “like war,” where she focused more on survival than winning.
“It’s such a weird thing to get in the water and not have it be refreshing — for the water to feel hotter than it felt outside,” another athlete told Marsh.
According to Rolling Stone, changes were made to how the event would function the morning of, which was common with Dave Castro, the games’ programmer and a former Navy SEAL. One of those changes was that the 78 athletes would be allowed to swim on either side of a series of buoys, which acted as a visual aid guiding the athletes toward the finish line. They had previously been told to stay on one side of the buoys, Rolling Stone reports, which could have kept the swimmers corralled, making it easier for judges and medics to monitor them.
Fuliano said that along the lake's entire length, she saw one medic wearing a red shirt and standing on a paddleboard near the finish line. Video of the race, athlete testimony and reporting found that personnel on the water did not have flotation devices that could be used in case of an emergency or whistles.
Rolling Stone reports that athletes were also instructed to wear brightly colored swim caps to make them easier to see in the water. However, athletes told the magazine they’d been assured they would not be penalized for taking the caps off. Many opted to shed theirs mid-race, citing the “fucking boiling” temperatures.
By the time Ðukić began to struggle in the water, the ”culmination of 10,000 bad decisions” came into play, CrossFit analyst Brian Friend told Rolling Stone. “It’s not a one-off thing.”
According to Rolling Stone, at least two spectators attempted to alert volunteers to what they believed to be an ongoing drowning around 7:40 a.m. One also urged her boyfriend to enter the water to help, the report states, but he was reprimanded by event staff. As concern began to mount that Ðukić, one of the most experienced swimmers in the race, had not crossed the finish line, event staff started assuring athletes that Ðukić was accounted for.
It took nearly 20 minutes for event organizers to call emergency responders, Rolling Stone reports. Two hours later, divers recovered Ðukić’s body, and the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death an accidental drowning.
The Games started back up the following afternoon, and Castro, the event programmer, first said the decision to do so had been made with the blessing of Ðukić’s family. That statement was refuted by Ðukić’s younger brother Luka, who also competed in the Fort Worth event.“They do not treat athletes the way that other organizations treat their athletes. They’re expendable. They’re disposable.” - Dr. Adam Schulte, former CrossFit Games Medic
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Following Ðukić’s death, CrossFit launched a third-party investigation into what went wrong, Rolling Stone reports. That investigation was never shared publicly, “based on privacy and legal considerations.” The organization created a new safety board and suspended open-water events.
In a statement to Rolling Stone, CrossFit said the organization has been “fundamentally transformed” by Ðukić’s death.
“We reject the criticism that we did not take this tragedy seriously — our actions prove otherwise. CrossFit has since delivered on every one of its safety commitments and is continuing to make further operational changes. These commitments include hiring a new Head of Safety, establishing a Safety Advisory Board and community-nominated CrossFit Athlete Council, suspending all open water swim events for the foreseeable future, and making more safety improvements before the 2025 Games. As an organization, we are choosing to focus on delivering a safe and successful CrossFit Games for our athletes and the broader CrossFit community going forward,” the organization said.
This August, the 2025 CrossFit Games will be held in Albany, New York. According to Rolling Stone, registrations for the CrossFit Open, the annual competition that begins the competitive season, dropped by 30% in 2025. In March, CrossFit owners Berkshire Partners announced the company is for sale.
