The main topic in the CrossFit community is the safety issues that have been brought to light following a tragic incident which resulted in the tragic passing of Lazar Đukić. So, the Professional Fitness Athletes’ Association (PFAA) has come out with a few points that they consider mandatory in order to make the sport safer. They shared the statement on their Instagram, signed by multiple elite CrossFit athletes.
One of the most surprising points in the PFAA’s statement is the call for Dave Castro to be removed from his position on the CrossFit Games Sports Team. Moreover, they are demanding that protocols be put in place in order to make the situation regarding the death of their colleague more transparent.
“The PFAA represents the interests of athletes competing in the CrossFit Games season. The sport is built on the principle that athletes do not know all of the details of the events they participate in, but we always assumed if something went wrong they would save us. We were wrong.
1. We demand an appropriate level of transparency between CrossFit and the PFAA regarding their 3rd party investigation as to the death of Lazar Đukić and subsequent changes made to protect all athletes going forward.
2. We demand CrossFit create an independent safety team to liaise with the PFAA on an ongoing basis.
3. We demand that Dave Castro be removed from his position in the Sport Team.
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These demands reflect the immediate steps necessary to begin to restore athlete trust in CrossFit Sport. The PFAA is also acutely aware that more must be done to change the culture and strategic direction of this sport to ensure its future and that will take time.”
Check out the PFAA Instagram post here:
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The PFAA’s statement was signed by multiple world-class athletes, including the 2x Fittest Woman on Earth, Annie Thorisdottir. Apart from her, there are also Brent Fikowski, Patrick Vellner, Dina Swift, Fee Saghafi, Leeverne Engelbrecht, Royce Dunne, and Victoria Campos. The PFAA was founded in 2020, with Fikowski named as the president at the current time.
Brent Fikowski also released his own statement not too long ago, revealing that both he and the PFAA had revealed their concerns about the Texas heat at the 2024 CrossFit Games but were met with insufficient answers. He also revealed how many athletes resent the organization and that he has not believed in safety being the number one priority for a long time. Fikowski did not stop there, as he criticized the method of keeping the CrossFit Games workouts a secret until the last minute possible.
The exact reason for Lazar Đukić’s passing is still unknown, but many CrossFitters, including his brother Luka, believe that it could have been prevented. In turn, many athletes immediately withdrew from the 2024 CrossFit Games following the incident, which included defending champions Laura Horvath and Jeffrey Adler. So, it is clear that multiple athletes that are competing at the highest level are not agreeing with the organizers in some way, whether that be the safety issues or the decision to resume the competition following the incident.
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It is unclear what the next steps will be, both for CrossFit and the Professional Fitness Athletes’ Association (PFAA). However, more details are expected to be revealed in the near future. Until then, the athletes will continue preparing for the 2024 Rogue Invitational, which is the next big competition of the year. CrossFit has also issued an order to all of their partner competitions to exclude swimming events indefinitely.
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