In the wake of tragedy, CrossFit faces an identity crisis

THE atmosphere at the closing ceremony of the CrossFit Games on Aug 11 at Dickies Arena, a 14,000-seat venue in Fort Worth, Texas, was decidedly solemn.

Ordinarily a triumphant moment for the men and women named the “fittest on earth” after participating in a four-day competition involving gruelling feats of physical strength and endurance, the festivities this year were overshadowed by the death of a competitor on the first day of the contest. Lazar Dukic, a 28-year-old athlete from Serbia, died during an 800-metre open-water swim in Marine Creek Lake.

Dukic’s death was the first in the event’s 17-year history. It has raised many concerns, some longstanding, about the safety of CrossFit as both a workout regimen and an athletic competition.