CrossFit Games Competitor Dies During Swimming Competition—What We Know

 

A competitor died during the CrossFit Games swimming event in Texas on Thursday, the organization confirmed on social media, prompting the cancelation of the rest of the day’s events.

Key Facts

The CrossFit Games confirmed the death of the competitor occurred during the swimming portion of Individual Event 1 at Marine Creek Lake in Fort Worth, Texas on Thursday.

The organization did not immediately release the identity of the competitor, and police told reporters the name of the athlete would not be released until the Tarrant County Medical Examiner speaks with the competitor’s family to verify their name and identity.

Don Faul, CEO of CrossFit, told reporters the organization is working with local authorities on an investigation.

The Fort Worth Fire Department said it responded to a call around 8 a.m. CDT that a competitor had gone underwater and had not resurfaced, and a dive team had recovered the body an hour after responding to the incident.

Faul said a safety plan had been created for the event with safety personnel present on site.

Key Background

The CrossFit Games are an annual competition hosted by CrossFit that test competitors’ abilities in various events, which may include sports like swimming, weightlifting, cycling and obstacle courses. The specific events are unknown to competitors before the competition begins. This year’s games began with the individual competition on Thursday, which is scheduled to end Aug. 11. The event will be followed by team competitions later this month.