Lazar Đukić drowned during the first event, Lake Day, at the 2024 CrossFit Games. Since that day a little over four months ago, CrossFit initiated a third-party investigation to better understand what happened that day. At the same time, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy in which the cause of death was determined to be a ‘drowning’ with a manner of death as an ‘accident’.
A toxicology lab report and autopsy report were completed on August 22, 2024, and November 7, 2024, respectively.
Pursuant to Texas’ Public Information Act, The Barbell Spin requested both reports and have received them from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Toxicological Analysis
The toxicological analysis was negative and postmortem vitreous electrolytes showed no abnormalities of glucose and postmortem changes of VUN (vitreous urea nitrogen), sodium, potassium, and chloride.
Autopsy Findings
Air and Water Temperature
The autopsy reveals that the ambient temperature on August 8 was 93-degrees Fahrenheit. The water temperature of Marine Creek Lake was measured at 85-degrees Fahrenheit.
Observations
The autopsy points to numerous observations consistent with drowning, as expected. Mild pulmonary congestion and edema, watery fluid in the stomach and a hemorrhage found on the right sternothyroid muscle are all associated with a drowning.
The medical examiner also observed an enlarged heart (cardiomegaly) with left ventricular hypertrophy (the thickening of the left ventricle of the heart) consistent with cardiac changes in athletes. It is almost more commonly referred to as Athlete’s Heart.
Below is the summary and opinion from the medical examiner’s report:
The autopsy reported Lazar’s left ventricular free wall thickness to be 1.8 centimeters. This is considered within range for Athlete’s Heart, but above an average thickness of 1.1 to 1.3 centimeters for non-athletes.
A microscopic examination did not find any fibrosis or erythema within the heart nor was any plaque build-up found in his arteries.
Below is the section showing there were no signs of plaque build up:
It does appear that responders did attempt to provide medical intervention as the autopsy noted electrocardiographic pads on Đukić’s back.
There was also no evidence of injury to the brain or central nervous system or any bone fractures.
Cardiovascular Observations
As mentioned above, the medical examiner noted cardiomegaly with left ventricular hypertrophy consistent with what is commonly called Athlete’s Heart. While a quick Google search could make it appear that this is concerning, it is common for high-level athletes.
It is estimated that approximately 2% of athletes, especially elite long-distance runners, cyclists and triathletes, have Athlete’s Heart. For these athletes who consistently perform rigorous aerobic training, the enlargement of an athlete’s heart is a natural adaptation to deal with the high pressures and large amounts of blood flow required during this training.
Additionally, the heart will increase the chamber size of the left ventricle and mass and wall thickness of the heart. In many cases it is considered harmless and the heart will return to normal after approximately three months of reduced stress or exercise.
I spoke with Dr. Will Wright who reviewed the autopsy. Dr. Wright attended the University of Texas Southwestern medical school, residency at the Cleveland Clinic and vascular interventional fellowship at UC San Diego. Additionally, he has been around the CrossFit community for over a decade.
Regarding the observations of Lazar’s heart, Dr. Wright said, “The autopsy mentioned left ventricular hypertropy, which is often seen in athletes, and although there are other causes for the finding, it is safe to assume it was due to his well conditioned state.”
And while is true that Athlete’s Heart is not without risk because the symptoms can be confused with more serious conditions such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). In Lazar’s case, given his extraordinary abilities in longer events and Dr. Wright’s opinion, it is highly unlikely the observations were anything more than from his prolonged training as an elite athlete.
Conclusion
The autopsy did not reveal anything that would indicate pre-existing conditions or observations outside of the fact that Lazar drowned. “The autopsy of the athlete was overall unremarkable,” shared Dr. Will Wright. The term ‘unremarkable’ is used frequently in the autopsy report in regards to noting something was normal or common.
Unfortunately, we will never know the exact reason that Lazar began to struggle in the water on Day 1 of the 2024 CrossFit Games. Dr. Wright summarized it, “We can only learn from these unfortunate events. The conclusion is the cause of death was drowning.”
