CrossFit’s Director of Sport, Dave Castro, has publicly apologized to the Đukić family after Luka Đukić issued a statement on Thursday regarding his brother Lazar’s death at the 2024 CrossFit Games.
Remind me: In his statement released on Sept. 5, Luka Đukić revealed that following his brother’s death at the Games, Castro approached him about continuing the competition as a tribute to Lazar.
“‘I don’t care,’” Luka replied, according to his post, “‘I don’t think I am thinking clearly so this decision should not be up to me.’”
[Related: PFAA Calls for Dave Castro’s Removal From CrossFit’s Sport Team]
According to Luka, Castro reportedly replied: “’It’s not up to you anyways.’”
Despite this, Luka wrote that Castro later presented the decision to continue the Games as the “wish of the family.”
Dave Castro Responds
Castro’s public apology focused on the decision to continue the Games and how he portrayed the Đukić family in his statements both to the athletes assembled at Dickies Arena later that day on Aug. 8 and on the CrossFit Games broadcast the next morning.
[Related: Dave Castro Shares Regrets, Says Firing CrossFit Media Team in 2018 “Set Us Back”]
The broadcast opened with a few words from commentator Chase Ingraham and then an interview between sideline reporter Mike Arsenault and Castro.
At approximately 3:45 into the broadcast, Castro said: “Went and saw Luka, had a conversation with him and he gave his blessing. He said he supported the idea of the event continuing forward.”
In a public apology on Sept. 5, Castro wrote, “I should never have said that the decision to continue the CrossFit Games in August was ‘blessed’ by their family.”
He went on to take responsibility for the decision to continue the 2024 CrossFit Games.
“This decision was made by CrossFit and I never intended to put the weight of this decision on Luka, the Đukić family or our CrossFit athletes,” he added.
Castro concluded his statement by admitting he’d made a mistake.
“I’ve never been in a situation like this before and I absolutely made a mistake. I sincerely regret any pain I’ve caused,” Castro wrote.
CrossFit Community Looks to Athletes on Social Media, Aims to Connect With Đukić Family
“He Was There, Then He Was Gone”: Former Lifeguard Gives Eyewitness Account of Lazar Đukić’s Death
“You Loved the Sport That Didn’t Love You Back”: Luka Đukić Comments on Brother Lazar’s Death
Featured image: Scott Freymond
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