The 2024 Belgrade Games wrapped last weekend, crowning winners Moritz Fiebig and Matilde Garnes after three days of competition.
- Competitors from around the world took part in the event for a spot atop the podium, but that was not the primary reason many were there.
Dubbed the “Lazar Ðukić Memorial Competition,” the Belgrade Games was a weekend of tears and sadness but also comradery and comfort as everyone came together to honor one of CrossFit’s most beloved competitors in his home country.
The 2024 Belgrade Games Workouts
The first of six workouts was:
For time:
- 2500/2200-meter bike
- 150 double-unders
- 1250/1100-meter row
- 150 double-unders
- 600/500-meter ski
It was a significant 15 minutes, as it was when spectators and fellow athletes had the chance to watch Luka Ðukić take the floor in his home country, something he had been planning to do alongside his brother.
On a social media post, Luka shared a message to Lazar:
- “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.”
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The courage it must have taken for him to be a part of the event is unthinkable, and it led to a victory on Event 1, with a time of 13:29, barely finishing ahead of Bronislaw Olenkowicz.
- Olenkowicz later snagged a win on Event 4, with champion Moritz Fiebig finishing first in every other event.
Like the men’s division, only three women took first-place event finishes all weekend: champion Matilde Garnes, who won Events 1 and 2; Julia Błażejowska, who won Event 3; and Elisa Fuliano, who won Events 4, 5, and 6.
Jackie Pro
The final workout, titled “Lazar’s WOD,” also known as “Jackie Pro,” from the 2022 CrossFit Games, was a nod to Ðukić’s performance that year in Madison. He won that event, making his way through a 1000-meter row, 50 thrusters, and 30 bar muscle-ups in 10 minutes.
On the Belgrade Games Instagram, the team posted about the workout:
- “This event is dedicated to an unforgettable moment in Lazar Đukić’s career when he dominated the final event at the Games, setting a time no one could beat. This performance allowed him to make a remarkable comeback after a tough start, securing a spot in the world’s top 10.”
The Competitors
Besides Luka Ðukić, Olenkowicz, Fiebig, Garnes, Fuliano, and Błażejowska, other athletes that rounded out the leaderboard were Jacqueline Dahlstrom, Madeleine Persson, Camilla Salomonsson Hellman, Anestis Artemis, and Alex Kotoulas, one of Lazar’s closest friends.
Commentator Lauren Smith had the chance to ask 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.
- “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 continued, 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.”
Lazar Ðukić’s Legacy
The weekend was spent honoring Ðukić’s short life, not only through competition but with a wall of photos sent in by those who loved him, arranged into a mosaic portrait. It was a powerful and emotional installation that surprised competitors and fans.
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Banners with Ðukić’s image and name hung on the floor throughout the competition, as event organizers kept his memory at the forefront of the entire weekend.
During the opening ceremony, a video montage was shared with footage of Ðukić through the years while competitors, fans, event staff, and volunteers looked on and continued to grieve.
- For those following the competition from home, many videos, photos, and kind words were shared on many of the athletes’ social media accounts as they reflected on the collective grieving that took place, and the comfort they all found in one another and the event as a whole.
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The Belgrade Games team shared a message directed to Lazar, reminding us all about the life that was lost:
“In the silence of training,
and the noise of competition,
Your smile echoes like a familiar melody.
When someone you love becomes a memory,
That memory becomes a treasure.
He was an indescribable treasure to his family.
Together with Luka,
His brother and faithful companion,
He walked through life’s challenges.
He left the world of CrossFit with a thought:
Everything is possible.
Gentle yet sharp,
Clear and humble,
Always smiling.
Ðukić Lazar
A few seconds,
One last breath,
You, too, are gone,
But your spirit remains.
It stays with us.
In every movement,
Every step,
Every training session
That’s how it is with the best,
They never truly leave.
They live on in every record broken.
One of us is gone.
The greatest has departed.
Gone into eternity.
His deeds are our guideposts.
So thank you.
On behalf of all of us,
Whom you showed
The right path.”
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Featured image: Lydia Stadthoewer
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