The 2024 Belgrade Games, held in Belgrade, Serbia, were originally set to take place September 6-8, less than a month after the 2024 CrossFit Games.
Shortly after the death of Serbia’s own Lazar Ðukić, though, organizers chose to postpone the event out of respect for the Ðukić family and the greater Serbian community.
- “Lazar Ðukić left a profound mark on our community and was an essential part of this competition,” the Belgrade Games team posted on Instagram in August.
In the same statement, organizers asked for patience and understanding as the event was rescheduled for November 15-17.
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The Lazar Ðukić Memorial Competition
As the competition inched closer, it was announced that the 2024 event would be dedicated to Ðukić “with great respect and sorrow.”
- “Lazar was a role model for all our competitors and proudly represented our country, Serbia, on the international stage. Thanks to his extraordinary achievements, Serbia has found its place among the great sporting nations,” the Belgrade Games posted on Instagram. “His hard work and dedication inspired us and showed that a small country can achieve great things.”
- The post continued: “Our tournament was and remains the place where Lazar was meant to showcase his strength and love for the sport. It is now our privilege to dedicate this competition to him, as a lasting tribute to all that he represented.”
For many of the athletes who competed at the Games, this event will serve as a way to honor Ðukić and his family, to stand alongside one another, united in their grief and their hope that his death was not in vain.
The 2024 Belgrade Games Roster
Many elite European athletes have landed in Belgrade for this weekend to take part in the event — some as a competition, many as an exhibition.
Moritz Fiebig, Elisa Fuliano, Camilla Salomonsson Hellman, Bronislaw Olenkowicz, Jacqueline Dahlstrom, and Matilde Garnes are among those on the roster.
- “I feel very honored getting the invitation and chance to compete for Lazar this weekend… it’s the most meaningful competition, not only this year but in my career,” Garnes told Morning Chalk Up.
She went on to share memories of Ðukić and reminisce on her time spent as his friend.
- “He was an athlete I looked up to in so many ways, both for how he competed hard but also the person he was off the competition floor. He was funny, always happy and welcoming,” Garnes said.
She also shared that when she was just beginning her career in competitive CrossFit, she was shy and unsure, intimidated by many of the high-level athletes. She said that Ðukić was always there with a welcoming smile and immense kindness, which stood out to her greatly.
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Elisa Fuliano also shared her sentiment and that from her point of view, her presence at the Belgrade Games will be a true way to honor Ðukić, as she felt she wasn’t able to do that at the CrossFit Games.
- “A whole event will be dedicated to him and his memory right in his home country. I’m sure it will be special, and I’ll be so honored to be there,” Fuliano told Morning Chalk Up.
For once, she said, it will be nice to step onto the competition floor with no expectations or pressure. She isn’t focused on her performance as much as she is focused on taking part in the event to experience it, be present, and embrace everything that Ðukić’s life meant.
The Event
As the event edges closer, the Belgrade Games team makes preparations with grateful hearts full of emotion.
They recognize that this year is particularly special, not just for the community who will be on-site but for anyone who has decided to participate in any way — those watching the live stream hosted by Brian Friend, those checking in on scores throughout the weekend, and those liking and sharing social media posts.
- “Lazar was truly someone our community saw as a role model; he achieved what everyone here dreamed about,” the team told Morning Chalk Up. “We are very honored to (have known) him and to dedicate this competition to him as a gratitude for what he has done for our community.”
They went on to explain that planning the event was very difficult for them, as he was supposed to be on the competition floor with his brother, Luka.
- “We hope that we did enough to honor him and his legacy and that everyone who comes will see how much he meant to us as an athlete, a friend, and a family member,” the team said.
The weekend will be full of tributes to Ðukić.
One will be an opening ceremony with a video compilation with submissions from GORUCK, the Buttery Bros, and Talking Elite Fitness, as well as a memorial wall of photos sent in from people throughout the world.
Garnes said that the expectation for the weekend ahead is that all the athletes compete in the way that Ðukić did and “treat each other like he did… that we are doing this for him, not for ourselves. I hope all competitors this weekend will honor him in the best way possible, that he really deserves.”
- “I wish he was there with us, but in spirit, he will be,” she concluded.
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Featured image: @belgradegames / Instagram
