“I’m still wondering if it’s a dream.”
That’s what French athlete Claudia Gluck told the Morning Chalk Up last year after qualifying for her first CrossFit Games.
That dream, however, quickly turned into a nightmare as tragedy struck in Fort Worth, TX, when competitor Lazar Đukić drowned during the first event.
- In the aftermath, some athletes withdrew. By the end of the weekend, 12 individuals and two teams had pulled out, citing Đukić’s death as the reason.
Interestingly, none of the 22 individual rookies were on that list. And who can blame them?
Gluck, for example, had been pursuing the CrossFit Games dream for years, so finally reaching it and then throwing it all away wouldn’t have made much sense.
- “I did not [consider it]. I believe everyone made the best decision for themselves, and I more than respect that and hope the same way around,” Gluck said after her decision to continue to compete after the tragedy during Event 1.
CrossFit’s 2025 Sophomore Class
This season, 10 out of last year’s 22 rookies are on the 2025 Games roster, hoping to have a more “normal” Games experience this August in Albany, NY.
This year’s sophomores include:
Women
- Claudia Gluck
- Hattie Kanyo
- Grace Walton
- Aimee Cringle
- Lexi Neely
Men
- Austin Hatfield
- Harry Lightfoot
- Peter Ellis
- Calum Clements
- Chris Ibarra
We caught up with Gluck, Kanyo, and Ibarra to discuss how they refocused for 2025 after experiencing something they hope they never have to go through again.
Chris Ibarra
Although he didn’t know Đukić personally, Ibarra was shaken up by his death and told us he couldn’t help but think, “Holy crap, that could have been me.”
In the moments after Event 1 last year, Ibarra called his mentor, five-time Games athlete Jacob Heppner, for advice.
- “I asked if I should continue competing, and he said he would always be behind me no matter what I decided,” Ibarra said.
Ultimately, Ibarra decided to compete and finished 19th overall, but he described the whole weekend as “tainted.”
This season, Ibarra narrowly missed qualifying for the Games through the In-Affiliate Semifinals by just one spot (12th) but went on to win the TFX Invitational In-Person Qualifying Event (IPQE). He will also compete as a challenger in the World Fitness Project and finished 16th at Tour Event I.
He admits he doesn’t know what a “normal” Games experience is, but he hopes to have one this year.
- “Last year is my normal, so I’m really excited to have a good experience because last year was really rough,” he said.
Ibarra’s ultimate goal: To finish in the top 10 at the Games and then secure a WFP pro contract by the end of the year.
Hattie Kanyo
Kanyo admitted to us that she felt some pressure to withdraw after Đukić died, as there were so many “opinions floating around.” But when she stepped back, she realized she wanted nothing more than to compete.
- “This was my first Games experience, and it was the only way I knew how to try to find happiness in all the sadness,” she said.
After the Games, Kanyo said she went home feeling depressed and ate nothing but Wendy’s chicken sandwiches and ice cream for a week. Then, it was time to get back to work.
- “In hindsight, I wish I had taken a bit more time off from the gym and gotten out of my house more,” Kanyo said. “But after what had happened, I just chilled hard and tried to figure out how to be proud of myself and then decided I needed the gym to keep me sane.”
Her hard work paid off: Kanyo skipped the In-Affiliate Semifinals but earned her second spot in this summer’s Games at June’s Northern California Classic IPQE, where she finished second to Alex Gazan.
Heading back to the Games, Kanyo said she is most excited just to get back out there and soak it all in.
- “I definitely hope this year will be more normal, but I honestly think it might take a few years to do so with everything that happened and the possible sale of CrossFit,” she said. “There are just a lot of changes going on, so [I’m] not sure what it’s going to be like this year. I will make the most of it, though.
Claudia Gluck
Gluck chose to keep quiet about her emotions after last summer’s Games. She didn’t post anything about it on social media because, for her, it just didn’t feel appropriate.
When Gluck returned home after last summer’s Games, she knew she wanted to make it back to the Games — first, however, she had to disconnect.
- “I took a big break, took some holidays, spent a lot of time with my family and friends, and mostly did outdoor activities,” she said.
When Gluck returned to the gym, she focused on her foundations and did a lot of running, all while avoiding most CrossFit workouts for a few months.
Unlike many other athletes, Gluck decided not to compete in the WFP in order to focus fully on the Games season.
- “It’s great to have many options to compete, but I believe you have to make choices and can’t do them all well,” she said.
Her approach worked, and she finished second at the French Throwdown, behind Elisa Fuliano, who wasn’t eligible to qualify for the Games as she didn’t compete in the Open.
Heading into the Games this August, Gluck, of course, hasn’t forgotten what happened last year and, needless to say, is hoping for a better experience this year.
- “No one wants to ever live an experience like last year’s Games again,” she said.
Her ultimate goal is just to “keep climbing up.”
- “I want to do better than last year. Just give it my all, one workout at a time. I’m sure if I do that, I’ll be happy at the end of the weekend,” she said.
The Big Picture
After experiencing the CrossFit Games’ darkest moment in their rookie seasons, Ibarra, Kanyo, and Gluck – along with seven other 2024 rookies – will retake the floor this year, fitter, stronger, and in hopes of having the Games experience they never had the chance to feel a year ago.
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Credit: Jesus Montero
