3 Key Takeaways From Brian Friend’s Interview

Behind the Scenes in Fort Worth

Over the weekend, the podcast published a recent interview with Brian Friend, CrossFit analyst and founder of B.Friendly Fitness, and Austrian Masters athlete Shireen Maria Sarwari. The primary focus of the nearly two-hour conversation was the events surrounding the 2024 CrossFit Games, the death of Lazar Ðukić, the aftermath of the Games weekend, and Friend’s thoughts on the 2025 season.

Behind the Scenes in Fort Worth

After laying out some current details about the B.Friendly Fitness "World Tour," the conversation turned to Fort Worth. Friend shared that among the athletes he’s developed relationships with, Lazar was among the most special. It was a friendship that had grown immensely in the 15 or so months leading up to the 2024 CrossFit Games.

Dave Castro Should Have Resigned or Been Fired

The opinion that will undoubtedly get the most attention is Friend’s assertion that Dave Castro should have resigned or been fired after the Games. While many others, both inside and outside the CrossFit community, have made similar statements, Friend’s reasoning for doing so in the podcast interview is worth noting.

"10-40% Drop" in Open Participation in 2025

Finally, the conversation turned to the 2025 season, where Friend speculated that there would be a significant drop-off in Open registrations. "Everyone I’ve spoken to is projecting a drop-off in Open participation at a minimum of 10% and upwards of 40%. It’s a big range, but what is a common thing to say? You vote with your dollar," he said.

The Bottom Line

There’s no doubt much to unpack in this nearly two-hour-long interview, including a lot of information and context that we were not able to convey here. It’s definitely worth a listen.

Conclusion

In our email exchange, Friend clarified his goals in this podcast interview, and we will conclude with his words: "The goal of sharing these things is to provide more clarity and information, to give people an opportunity to make decisions for themselves with a more well-rounded perspective. My perspective is not the complete one, but most of the others who would have similarly valuable perspectives will not share those any time soon, if at all."

FAQs

• What was the primary focus of the interview?
  • The events surrounding the 2024 CrossFit Games, the death of Lazar Ðukić, the aftermath of the Games weekend, and Friend’s thoughts on the 2025 season.
• Why did Friend stay in Fort Worth initially but then leave?
  • He wanted to see how the event would handle the tribute to Lazar and how the first events of the day would play out. He also had spoken with Luka Ðukić, Lazar’s younger brother, for 45 minutes early in the morning on Friday.
• Why did Friend think Dave Castro should have resigned or been fired?
  • Friend believes that CrossFit made financial decisions that "safety protocols…were not in alignment with what Dave [Castro] and his team would typically do." He also notes that Castro has overseen open-water swimming events for as long as they have been programmed at the Games and that Castro, as Games Director, has the final say to make changes to events for any reason.