Slovakian elite athlete Karin Freyova and team CrossFit Walleye have posted on social media that they are withdrawing from the 2024 CrossFit Games, despite the competition continuing after the tragic death of Lazar Dukic. According to them, the situation post event 1 was not handled properly.
Yesterday evening, while athletes were discussing with Dave Castro the future of the 2024 CrossFit Games, there were rumours about athletes dropping out of the competition because of the entire situation. CrossFit decided to continue the events this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but it seems that a few athletes were not happy with such a decision – namely Karin Freyova and the athletes from team CrossFit Walleye.
Chronological Facts: All We Know About Lazar’s Death and the Future of the CrossFit Games
Karin Freyova Withdraws from Competing at the 2024 CrossFit Games
This year was Freyova’s fifth appearance at the CrossFit Games. She finished event 1 in 9th, a great start for someone who was best placed 14th before in her career worldwide.
However, the Slovakian athlete decided not to continue competing, saying she was disappointed with the organisation’s behaviour towards the athletes. She also said her “pain from losing Lazar is stronger than my ego or power for money.”
See below her entire post:
I am withdrawing from this year’s CrossFit Games. I am very disappointed with the way the CrossFit Games organization behaved towards the athletes. Not only did they neglect safety, but they also disrespected one of us and continued with the competition. I’m disappointed in the CrossFit community when they don’t stick together in these difficult times. I also trained hard because of this one weekend, but my pain from losing Lazar is stronger than my ego or power of money.
#corruptedworld #needmoreempathy
#neverforgetyou
Team CrossFit Walleye Withdraws from the 2024 CrossFit Games
Similarly, the athletes from CrossFit Walleye have also withdrawn from competing after Lazar Dukic’s death and how CrossFit has handled the situation.
Three athletes from the team, Elliot Simonds, Jamie Simmonds, and Kristof Horvath, have shared a picture with a black background and letters in white explaining their decision.
“In the aftermath of great tragedy, it is difficult to think of anything other than the grief being experienced by Lazar’s family and the community as a whole.
Each athlete, coach, fan and spectator will deal with this grief and honour Lazar in a way which they feel appropriate.
We have decided that for us, continuing to compete in the 2024 CrossFit Games does not honour Lazar in the way we wish.
We have engaged with CrossFit and the alternative paths put forward for competition this year did not align with our personal views.
We may, in time, share more. But for now, as a community it’s time to support each other.
RIP LAZAR
Is Laura Horvath Out?
Interestingly enough about the post shared by athletes from CrossFit Walleye is that one person alone was tagged in that photo: the current Fittest Woman on Earth Laura Horvath. She is the sister of one of the athletes in the team, Kristof Horvath, which is also the boyfriend of another elite athlete: Gabriela Migala.
No official statement from either Laura Horvath or Gabi Migala as of yet. We will update this accordingly.
