With additional writing by Nicky Freymond.
There are moments in history that mark a profound transformation.
A tragedy happens that affects everything and everyone moving forward. You can look back and clearly see the “before” and the “after.”
The morning of August 8th, 2024, at approximately 7:38 a.m. CST was one of those moments.
One year ago, Lazar Ðukić died.
Many of us left Marine Creek Lake that day broken. And we flew home from Fort Worth, TX, forever changed.
Remembering Lazar
Đukić entered the CrossFit scene in 2017, competing in his first CrossFit Open, where he was crowned the Fittest Man in Serbia, his home country.
- He competed in the CrossFit Open every year afterward, first qualifying for the Games in 2019, the year all national champions were invited. That year, he decided not to make the trip to Madison.
Đukić again qualified in 2021, this time alongside his brother, Luka, through the German Throwdown. The two competed at the Games together that year as rookies, with Lazar finishing ninth. He went on to compete in 2022 and 2023 as well, both years finishing in the top ten.
In 2024, Lazar qualified once again for the Games by winning the French Throwdown. Luka secured the fifth and final qualifying spot.
Once again, they would be competing alongside one another on the biggest stage.
After the win in Lyon, Lazar didn’t speak about his accomplishments in his post-win interview.
Instead, he beamed about Luka.
- “To be honest, this doesn’t mean as much as my brother qualifying and us going back together,” the elder Ðukić said. “To me, that’s the biggest impression of this weekend — us going back together, us preparing for the Games together.”
Honoring a Legend
Three months after his passing, the Belgrade Games, which had been postponed following Lazar’s death, took place in Serbia, with the organizers renaming the event “The Lazar Đukić Memorial Competition.”
Leading up to the competition weekend, via social media, Luka shared a message to his brother:
- “I am back to competing this weekend at the Belgrade Games. This is [the] first time competing in my home country in [the] last 7 years, and this time it is different. We planned to be here together. I know you are watching, I hope you are proud.”
“I miss you every second of it,” he wrote.
Besides Luka, athletes from around the world participated in the event, competing for a spot on the podium, but that wasn’t the main reason many of them came.
The event was a weekend of tears and sadness, but also camaraderie and comfort as everyone came together to honor one of CrossFit’s most beloved competitors in his home country.
Commentator Lauren Smith had the chance to ask athlete Alex Kotoulas about his motivation at the competition.
- “The main motivation is that … we are in the hometown of Lazar, our friend. He was my best friend in Europe. The field is crazy. The whole of Europe is here. The National Champions are here,” he said.
Kotoulas shared a fond memory of his friend:
- “Every time I spoke to him, Lazar told me, ‘I’m the king of Europe,’ and I said to him, ‘No, you’re not the king of Europe; you only have three top [finishes], BKG is the king of Europe.’ ‘No, I’m the king of Europe,’ Lazar would reply.”
Kotoulas concluded, saying that while he may not have been king, Lazar was “the heart of Europe and the heart of European CrossFit. He was representing all of us.”
Over the last year, Luka has continued to carry the torch for his brother. He set his sights on the Dubai Fitness Championship, which he won with a heavy heart alongside Lazar’s friend and fellow competitor, Karin Freyova.
He has since signed with Red Bull and is a WFP-signed Pro. He competed in Indianapolis, IN at WFP Tour Stop 1, and is currently training for Tour Stop 2 to be held later this month.
There are moments while watching Luka compete when you can still see Lazar, his legacy living on through his brother. Luka’s strength and courage to keep going and pursue a career in competitive fitness inspire us, and for that, we are incredibly grateful.
We miss you and mourn you every day, Lazar. Our hearts and our sport will never be the same without you.
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Featured Image: Enrique Villaseñor
