Lazar ฤukiฤ‡ & Patrick Vellner | 2023 CrossFit Games Prep

Sevan Matossian (00:00):

How come I can’t put Lazar up there? Oh, there he is.

Lazar Djukic (00:03):

Hey guys.

Sevan Matossian (00:04):

Hey. ’cause we were both doing it. Yeah. Bam. We’re live. Hey.

Lazar Djukic (00:08):

Hey.

Sevan Matossian (00:09):

Good morning. Nice shirt, Caleb. Hey, uh, uh, Lazar. Am I saying your name right?

Lazar Djukic (00:19):

No, <laugh>.

Sevan Matossian (00:20):

Fuck. I knew it. Tell me, tell me.

Lazar Djukic (00:22):

Lazar

Sevan Matossian (00:23):

Lazar. Lazar. <laugh>. How come? It’s like when people say time, every time it’s like, it’s like when people say Savon or Savon.

Lazar Djukic (00:32):

Yeah. Which one’s right?

Sevan Matossian (00:33):

Savon.

Lazar Djukic (00:34):

Okay. Okay. S

Sevan Matossian (00:35):

But I’m so, but I’m so used to, I don’t, I don’t ever correct anyone. Do you still correct people?

Lazar Djukic (00:39):

No.

Sevan Matossian (00:40):

Yeah. You’re just like, oh, fuck it. I’ve, I’ve, I’ve had friends for like years and then they’re like, oh my God, your name is Savon, not Savon. I was like, yeah. They’re like, why didn’t you correct me? I’m like, dude,

Lazar Djukic (00:50):

I don’t have time to correct everyone. The thing, the same thing happened to Nico. Nico, yeah. You know the N B A M V P? Uhhuh <affirmative>. So everybody in the US calls him Nico. Nico, and his name is Nicola. So he, he got the same questions, question asked, and he is like, I don’t even, uh, bother anymore. So, yeah, same here.

Sevan Matossian (01:12):

You just finally, okay. And, and, and so say your full name for me.

Lazar Djukic (01:16):

Lazar

Sevan Matossian (01:18):

Lazar. Yes. And, and that D is pronounced like, I always pronounce it like a J Juki.

Lazar Djukic (01:24):

Yes.

Sevan Matossian (01:25):

Is that how you pronounce it? Yes. Lazar Juki. Hey, thanks for doing this, man.

Lazar Djukic (01:30):

Of course. Thank you guys for calling me.

Sevan Matossian (01:32):

Um, where, uh, where are you?

Lazar Djukic (01:34):

Uh, Serbia.

Sevan Matossian (01:38):

Oh, you’re, uh, you Countrymen’s playing right now. Your coun Uh, um, yeah, he’s playing right now. Would you watch tennis?

Lazar Djukic (01:46):

Uh, yes. Actually. My, uh, brother has friends downstairs and they’re watching the Novak.

Sevan Matossian (01:51):

Yeah. What a great dude. Is he, is he hero in that country? In your country? Oh

Lazar Djukic (01:55):

Yeah, definitely.

Sevan Matossian (01:57):

Like the big, like the biggest sports sports star there is.

Lazar Djukic (02:00):

Yes. The biggest one for sure.

Sevan Matossian (02:03):

Hey, when he, when he didn’t want to take the, um, injection, did that hurt his stock or did that help him? Did that hurt him or help him? In Serbia? Yeah,

Lazar Djukic (02:11):

In Serbia. It helped him, but

Sevan Matossian (02:13):

Oh, good. That

Lazar Djukic (02:13):

Makes, yeah, with the outside world. Like they, they didn’t really support it.

Sevan Matossian (02:19):

I support it over here. Us Californian support it. Well, one of us. Oh. Oh, shit. Oh, oh shit.

Lazar Djukic (02:26):

Two

Sevan Matossian (02:26):

Zero. Here we go. What?

Lazar Djukic (02:27):

In the second one.

Sevan Matossian (02:28):

Oh. But he, but he won the first six one. Holy shit. Yeah. All right. So he’s kicking ass.

Lazar Djukic (02:33):

Yeah. For now. <laugh>.

Sevan Matossian (02:34):

Yeah. Where is that game?

Lazar Djukic (02:37):

Uh, London. Uh, it’s Wimbledon.

Sevan Matossian (02:41):

How come, if it’s, do you know much about tennis? If they, if it’s Wimbledon, why are they calling? I, I just saw the previews for it yesterday when I was watching the U F C and they kept calling it the gentleman’s match. Is that what they call Wimbledon?

Lazar Djukic (02:53):

Uh, well, they, they call it a white sport, but, uh, maybe because, uh, only the high, high class can enter that stadium. Like the ticket, the, like the basic ticket is 12,000 pounds. Wow. Which is like 15,000, uh, dollars.

Sevan Matossian (03:13):

Um, and, and it’s the finals that are going on now. Yeah. You thought I was gonna ask you about CrossFit and here, here I’m testing your tennis knowledge.

Lazar Djukic (03:21):

<laugh>. It’s okay. <laugh>.

Sevan Matossian (03:24):

Hey, uh, congratulations on, uh, on winning the European semi-finals. It’s kind of crazy, right?

Lazar Djukic (03:29):

Oh, a a a bit late. I like, I’m completely over that in my mind. Like I even forgot about it, but thank you,

Sevan Matossian (03:36):

Dude. It, it’s, it’s kind of amazing. It, it, it’s, um, your victory there feels like it’s the, um, like that there’s a new era.

Lazar Djukic (03:47):

Oh, <laugh>. I hope so. Definitely.

Sevan Matossian (03:50):

And when you say you’re over it, tell me, is it, is it because it’s not important to you, it’s winning the games is important to you?

Lazar Djukic (03:57):

Well, it definitely was important at that time. Like, at that time, that was the goal to win the semifinals, because for me, uh, mental, mental side of semifinals is a big, big part of my preparation for the games. So let’s say if I placed like ninth, eighth, seventh, or whatever, like, I wouldn’t be as tough in my head to like, go into the preparation for the games because I knew already like, 10 guys beat me there. So what should I expect at the games, you know?

Sevan Matossian (04:34):

Hmm, okay. Um, did you, how did, how did you feel going into semifinals? Were you a hundred percent?

Lazar Djukic (04:40):

Yes. Yes. I felt very good, very healthy. Healthy in my mind, healthy in the body, so felt very prepared and, uh, I, I didn’t feel that good in a long time.

Sevan Matossian (04:52):

Awesome. You had, there, there were a series of events that were kind of weird for you, right? Yeah. Did it start with, did it start with the bike coming in and then the stair climb in, um, Dubai and then there was one other weird event, right? That something happened?

Lazar Djukic (05:07):

So, yeah. Uh, like games, I, I, I don’t count it as a failure. Last year was still a success for me because my main goal was to, uh, improve, uh, on the, my first year, my rookie year. And I did that by one spot, but I still did it, even though I had, uh, a lot of ups and downs during the, uh, games. It still, uh, wasn’t a success for me. And then, uh, I won Madrid, which was like continuation of good, uh, like good performances for me. And then RO came and like the rough patch started basically, and I, uh, sprained my ankle and, uh,

Sevan Matossian (05:50):

Oh, that’s right on the run. Short run. That was event one, correct?

Lazar Djukic (05:53):

Yes. Yes. Event one. Uh, and then, uh, Dubai, I, I almost died in that Bush Khalifa event, so, yeah. Uh,

Sevan Matossian (06:06):

What happened there? What happened there?

Lazar Djukic (06:08):

Oh, like, I, to be honest, it was my fault basically because I didn’t really hydrate, uh, before it properly and didn’t really fuel myself as I should. Uh, they told us like, you are not gonna receive any water or any, uh, like supplements or anything when you are inside the building. And it was basically sauna for 40 minutes. And I came, I flew to Dubai like two days before, and I just didn’t really prepare myself for that kind of temperature, and it just felt very bad on the body. And, uh, and also like, I wanted to be a good son, uh, because my parents were, uh, coming to watch me after a long time, and I, and like day before I took them to the mall, and I probably picked up some buyers there because, uh, I, I didn’t really feel like myself, uh, in that competition. And, uh, that just like started in, uh, Bush Khalifa, and then it just continued through the whole competition. And after the competition, as soon the competition was over, it was probably like the brain, like not letting me get sick during the competition. As soon as the competition was finished, I immediately went to the bed with highest temperature in my life. I thought I was going to die. Like it was probably the worst experience, um, at the competition in my career until now.

Sevan Matossian (07:40):

After, when you say you went to your bed and you experienced that, that that fever, was it after that event or after the entire competition? After

Lazar Djukic (07:48):

The entire competition, I was just like,

Sevan Matossian (07:51):

Were you unable to fly home?

Lazar Djukic (07:53):

Yes. I, uh, my parents and brother, they, I told them to leave because IA was staying with me for another day. Uh, so they left and I stayed just like one or two days more until I can recover because I couldn’t really travel home like that,

Sevan Matossian (08:10):

Just, just under the sheets, just sweating Like a, like a Yes,

Lazar Djukic (08:13):

Exactly. Yeah.

Sevan Matossian (08:15):

Wow. That’s, wow. That’s a, um,

Lazar Djukic (08:16):

And then like, I, I, I, I, I

Sevan Matossian (08:19):

Thought I kind of like that. I like this story <laugh>,

Lazar Djukic (08:22):

I think, yeah, it, uh, I, I think it, it happened actually like during the competition and it, it just like hit me after the competition was over because I, I can, like, I, I felt like I was giving my 100%, like 150%, and I, it just wasn’t good enough. I finished 12 in that competition, which was like big, big, uh, hit for me. Like I, I, I expected to win dominantly to win, and I didn’t, I placed very badly. So,

Sevan Matossian (08:55):

Yeah. Um, you’re, you’re, let’s talk about running up that building. So it’s tallest building in the world. You’re at the bottom. Do you get to go into the, um, stairwell prior to the event to assess it at all?

Lazar Djukic (09:09):

No. No.

Sevan Matossian (09:10):

Okay. Uh,

Lazar Djukic (09:10):

They just like, uh, we went one by one, uh, in two minute, uh, windows and, uh, yeah, you’re just completely alone. And it, it was scary for sure.

Sevan Matossian (09:24):

And, and, and were you guys wearing a, a vest or anything?

Lazar Djukic (09:27):

Yeah, we were wearing a vest, which, which also like, didn’t help with cooling down. So

Sevan Matossian (09:32):

How heavy was that?

Lazar Djukic (09:33):

Uh, uh, 20 pounds, 10 kilos.

Sevan Matossian (09:37):

So they say go, and you mm-hmm. <affirmative> hit the first stairs and Yes. Is your immediate thought is, wow, it’s really hot in here?

Lazar Djukic (09:45):

Uh, no. Like, uh, the thing is, it, it got hot hotter as you went up. Mm-hmm. So it didn’t really help because like the cold air stays down. Right, right, right. And then the hot one, the more you climb, the worse it got. So yeah. It was hard to say the least.

Sevan Matossian (10:04):

Um, let me ask you a silly question. I assume at every floor there’s a door, uh, a doorway, but all the doors are held are already propped open, and you just, you can run through them?

Lazar Djukic (10:13):

Uh, no. So like, there’s no doors there. Like, there’s a door every like five

Sevan Matossian (10:18):

Flats. Okay.

Lazar Djukic (10:19):

And like, they’re all closed and every like 10 flats, there’s a person, but you are not going through like any doors. Like there is segments of the building. Well, like from floor number, like one or zero to like 50, and then from 50 to like 75. And then from 75 in those like segments between those segments, you, you leave the stair, uh, staircase and Yeah, go to the other one. Oh. But it’s only like 10 meters. So it’s basically like just going up like, like spiral.

Sevan Matossian (10:55):

Yeah. And, and, and when we saw there was a camera waiting for you at the top of the stairs, and when we saw you at the bottom, you were on all four? Yes. At what flight did that happen?

Lazar Djukic (11:08):

Uh, probably like five, five until the end. So like basically 1 55, because there is one 60.

Sevan Matossian (11:16):

Okay. And, and each, each floor is a couple flights of stairs.

Lazar Djukic (11:20):

Uh, each floor is like there and back.

Sevan Matossian (11:23):

So you went up 10 flights of stairs Yes. On your hand. And when you went down like that, do you remember what you were thinking? Were you like, uhoh, this isn’t right. Something’s not

Lazar Djukic (11:31):

Right here? No. Uh, I, I don’t remember like the, I don’t remember anything I like, I don’t remember that I, I remember that thing, uh, seeing that on your podcast, but I, uh, don’t, uh, remember like anything at like, I don’t remember that. Like

Sevan Matossian (11:50):

So you don’t remember finishing the race?

Lazar Djukic (11:52):

No.

Sevan Matossian (11:54):

Wow. That’s, that’s intense. Yeah. And then, and then we saw glimpses of you, um, with some, uh, cell phone footage of you on a stretcher. How did they get you down? Someone carried you? Oh,

Lazar Djukic (12:07):

Well, it was very, very, uh, like, it was very weird because upstairs there was nothing. So there was no water, there was no electrolytes, there was no snacks, nothing completely. And not even the medical or anything. So when I fell down, everybody was like, oh, it’s okay. Like, you just went too hard. But then I didn’t get any better in the next five minutes. And then they called an am ambulance. And then like, I think they gave me an infusion or how it’s called, like the one that goes into the vein. And, uh, it started getting better, but then they, uh, took me on a stretcher to some climatized room and I stayed there. They didn’t wanna bring me down, um, because like of, I dunno, pressure or something. Uh, so I just, I was there and the, all the things that were going through my mind, oh, man, like, uh, at one point I asked the doctor, am I going to die? No.

Sevan Matossian (13:08):

It

Lazar Djukic (13:08):

Was like, no. He’s like, no, no, you’re fine. Like, but I, I was feeling like I, I was going to die. I, I was thinking it’s going to have an effect on me, like not just for that moment, like for the rest of my life, which

Sevan Matossian (13:22):

Was very, like, you had a str like you were having a stroke or something, like something. Yes,

Lazar Djukic (13:25):

Exactly. Exactly. Yeah.

Sevan Matossian (13:27):

Holy shit. You’re, um, I

Lazar Djukic (13:29):

Wasn’t even thinking about continuing my career. I was like, my career is over after this. So like, I was thinking about like, going back to college and stuff, so it was very

Sevan Matossian (13:39):

Wow. Crazy. So it was crazy tense. And was your heart racing? Could you hear, why did you think that? What were you feeling that was so severe?

Lazar Djukic (13:48):

Five. My heart rate was 1, 180 5 for 30 minutes after the race.

Sevan Matossian (13:54):

Wow.

Lazar Djukic (13:56):

Yeah.

Sevan Matossian (13:57):

And, uh, I guess eventually, so they gave you an iv and then I’m guessing eventually they gave you a ton of water to drink too?

Lazar Djukic (14:05):

Yeah, yeah. And I came back home after that. I ate and I puked immediately.

Sevan Matossian (14:11):

So all the food you ate just came right back up? Yeah.

Lazar Djukic (14:13):

And I just didn’t eat anything during that competition and just terrible, terrible experience.

Sevan Matossian (14:19):

Wow. Crazy. When did you realize that you was the, was there another event that day or was it the next day?

Lazar Djukic (14:25):

Uh, next day.

Sevan Matossian (14:27):

When did you realize, oh shit, I’m gonna go on?

Lazar Djukic (14:30):

Well, I woke up and my dad told me, you’re not a quitter. You’re continuing <laugh>.

Sevan Matossian (14:36):

No shit.

Lazar Djukic (14:37):

Yeah, <laugh>. So yeah, that’s what I did. And, uh, I won the event actually, so like, I won the event, but it all, as it progressed, it got worse. So like, I was just giving my all and I couldn’t really do anything. So yeah, that was weird.

Sevan Matossian (14:55):

Um, uh, what was the second event?

Lazar Djukic (14:58):

Uh, second event. So second event after, uh, the run was, uh, clean event where I prd actually 1 62 and a half kilos. And then event after that was, uh, uh, like a dual type of, uh, event, you know, where it go, cuts, cuts, cuts the field. Uh, so sprints basically echo bike, uh, and rope climb and sprint to the finish line. And the field got smaller and smaller and smaller. And I won that event and I was like, okay, I’m, I’m good. Like, I’m, I’m coming back, I’m coming back. And then like, next event just destroyed me completely again. So, yeah. Weird competition.

Sevan Matossian (15:38):

Lazer, did you feel like shit in the third event?

Lazar Djukic (15:43):

Uh, yes.

Sevan Matossian (15:44):

Okay. How about in the second event you won? Did you feel like shit there? Yes. Oh, okay. Okay. So it wasn’t like you won the event. You’re like, okay, everything’s better. You knew that, like,

Lazar Djukic (15:53):

Yeah. You know, like when you finish the event and you can’t celebrate, like, yeah, you, you’re <inaudible> you know, you’re not good.

Sevan Matossian (15:59):

Wow. What a trip. Were you surprised, um, is you have that relationship with your father that he says to you, Hey, you’re not a quitter.

Lazar Djukic (16:06):

Yeah. Like he, he had a like, uh, big impact on our, uh, lives when we were kids. Like he, he raised us like, like soldiers. So like, he would, uh, my mom was pregnant with Luca and I was a kid, a three year old kid, and he would go with me to the pool and he would just throw me into the pool and like, swim. If, if, if he doesn’t swim, we’re <laugh>, we’re having another

Sevan Matossian (16:32):

<laugh>. Oh my God. <laugh>. So, yeah. Uh, see, uh, dad said, don’t be a little bitch.

Lazar Djukic (16:40):

Exactly. <laugh>,

Sevan Matossian (16:41):

Uh, Serbian, uh, tough love <laugh>, um, savage Father, we need more of him like this in the United States. Um, it’s, it’s interesting. Um, when you’re done with that competition in Dubai, are you, are you happy you finished? Like, are you like, or is any party like, that was stupid, I shouldn’t have listened to my dad? Or are you like, wow, I’m a badass. I did it. Which one? Exactly.

Lazar Djukic (17:07):

I said like, that was stupid. Stupid. I shouldn’t listen to my dad about that.

Sevan Matossian (17:11):

Oh, really? Like,

Lazar Djukic (17:12):

Yeah, <laugh>.

Sevan Matossian (17:15):

Um, does your mom

Lazar Djukic (17:16):

It could, it could have like, bigger impact on me because like, competing sick is very bad for your body. So like, you’re pushing yourself to the absolute max, and like you, you can’t, so

Sevan Matossian (17:28):

You mean like you could have some catastrophic organ failure failure or something like that? Probably.

Lazar Djukic (17:32):

Probably, yeah. After that competition, I decided to check my, uh, blood, uh, uh, blood picture. Blood blood, uh, yeah, check my blood. And I went and my, um, um, A D H D or I don’t know what it’s called, like, uh, some, some hormone, some, I don’t think it’s hormones. I think it’s like, uh, I don’t know. Some stuff was through the roof, like five times more than normal person. Like, it, it was connected to the liver. So yeah, like my liver couldn’t really, uh, like do anything with the blood that, that was coming in and like, just like super weird thing. But yeah, we fixed it, uh, through like, my nutritionist helped me a lot and, uh, a a l Yeah. And, and mine was like super high, super

Sevan Matossian (18:26):

High. So I like how you called it a D H D. That was awesome. I don’t know. No, that’s perfect. That’s perfect for this

Lazar Djukic (18:31):

Show. And, uh, yeah, it’s, uh, I, I was talking to my nutritionist Mike, uh, from M two and, uh, we set, set the plan how to fix it, and, uh, yeah, we fixed it. And basically at the start of the season, as the open started, I was good to go. So like, good that I checked it.

Sevan Matossian (18:51):

Does your mom ever have to keep your dad in check? Does your mom ever come over to your dad? Like, have you ever seen your mom and dad get in a fight because your dad’s pushing you too hard? Never. No, she just, she just sits there and chills, so,

Lazar Djukic (19:02):

So like, she would never like tell him not to do anything. But, uh, like we had two complete opposites. So mom was super caring, nurturing, like, like she would not let anything happen to us. And dad was like, let them do the dangerous stuff, like let

Sevan Matossian (19:21):

Them get, fight the alligators. Yeah.

Lazar Djukic (19:23):

So yeah, like two complete opposites. And I’m very grateful for that. Like, we, I think we be became good man. Made Luca.

Sevan Matossian (19:31):

Yeah. Um, that’s the only, um, conflict my wife and I have is around the children. So it’s the only, and it’s around that same, um, that same issue, you know, like how, how hard do, how hard are you supposed to push them? How hard are you? Should you let them go?

Lazar Djukic (19:46):

Let them do dangerous stuff carefully. I I heard that quote somewhere

Sevan Matossian (19:51):

That I like it. Um, and, and then so, so you leave there and, and there there are some concerns about your blood, you get them fixed, and then was that your last competition before semi-finals?

Lazar Djukic (20:07):

Uh, yes. Uh, no. Uh, so, uh, I did the competition in February in Germany in, uh, team with, uh, cutting play.

Sevan Matossian (20:17):

Okay. Yeah.

Lazar Djukic (20:18):

And, uh, we <laugh> we were winning the event by a mile and she didn’t wanna lose any event. I’m like, kind of chill, like we are leading by a minute no less pick up the dumbbell <laugh>. Yeah, I was competing with re uh, in February, and uh, then I did the open and, uh, yeah, it was like the perfect start for the season, for the season Was that competition with Kara and, uh, it was, yeah. Super nice experience and she, uh, helped me restore that, uh, mentality. Like, I wanna win everything. So I am really, uh, grateful to her for that.

Sevan Matossian (20:57):

Okay, so you’re appreciative of that, you’re not complaining, you’re appreciative of it. No,

Lazar Djukic (21:00):

No, it was very good.

Sevan Matossian (21:02):

Awesome. Um, how do you choose someone? Like how did you choose that place to compete and how did you choose, uh, who your partner is gonna be? Same training

Lazar Djukic (21:12):

Coach. So, uh, super, no, so super fit, uh, is my equipment sponsor and they are, uh, uh, organizing the competition. And, uh, I know car is a good athlete and we kind of, uh, so, so we are both like, uh, like I don’t want, it’s not slo Slovenia, like we have like the same Slovenia blood, or I don’t know, <inaudible>. So like, it was, uh, she lives close to me and it was close to that place, so I was just like, Hey, car, let’s do it. And she was up for it. Yeah. Easy money, why not.

Sevan Matossian (21:47):

Awesome. And, and how about those other people who are on the, um, podium? Are any of them also games athletes or? No.

Lazar Djukic (21:54):

So yeah, Bron, uh, <crosstalk>. You can see him onto the second place. Yeah.

Sevan Matossian (21:58):

Yeah. Um, had you ever met him before?

Lazar Djukic (22:03):

Oh, yeah. We are good friends. We know each other from, uh, 2017, I would say Aradan.

Sevan Matossian (22:11):

And, um, he, uh, you both speak English?

Lazar Djukic (22:14):

Yes.

Sevan Matossian (22:16):

Oh, cool. I’m a, I think he’s scheduled. I think that guy’s scheduled to come on the show.

Lazar Djukic (22:21):

Oh, he’s a fun guy. Yeah,

Sevan Matossian (22:23):

He is. Okay, great guy. And he’s the one that’s, uh, strong as a horse, right?

Lazar Djukic (22:28):

Oh, yeah. Yeah, very strong. He, he did a kettlebell sport, uh, for a long time. Like, uh, like one hour of kettlebell swings or something, I don’t know. So he has, uh, that like power and uh, strength from that, I think.

Sevan Matossian (22:46):

Um, uh, Jake Chapman, please get, uh, uh, am I gonna say your name right? Lazar? Did I say it right? Yeah, Lazar. Yeah. Please get Lazar to say, uh, get to the chopper.

Lazar Djukic (22:58):

Get to the Choppa. <laugh>.

Sevan Matossian (23:01):

Oh, is that like a Arnold Schwarzenegger movie?

Lazar Djukic (23:03):

Yeah, <laugh> Arnold movie. I dunno which one <laugh>.

Sevan Matossian (23:08):

Um, you, so, so you, are you still traveling to Paris or is, is Paris part of your life still?

Lazar Djukic (23:16):

Uh, it’s not Paris, it’s Burg where my, uh, girlfriend is studying and, uh, yes, but she’s finishing soon, probably a couple of more months, and then we’re gonna be, uh, in Serbia, like living here.

Sevan Matossian (23:29):

No shit. She’s French?

Lazar Djukic (23:32):

No, she’s Serbian, but she is studying her PhD

Sevan Matossian (23:35):

In study. Oh, okay, okay. And, and what’s the name of the city She’s in Stra

Lazar Djukic (23:40):

Strasburg.

Sevan Matossian (23:41):

Strasburg. Where’s that?

Lazar Djukic (23:43):

Yeah, Austria. Uh, France. France, but close to Germany.

Sevan Matossian (23:46):

Oh, okay. Because it sounds like a German name.

Lazar Djukic (23:49):

Yeah, it, it, it’s Alza territory, which was like, before it was German. Now it’s French.

Sevan Matossian (23:56):

I, I didn’t, did you see the way I asked that? I didn’t want to ask, are you still with the girlfriend? I just said, how’s fr how’s Paris? So that way like, you know, like, but you’re still together?

Lazar Djukic (24:04):

Yeah. She, she is the keeper.

Sevan Matossian (24:06):

She is the keeper, yeah.

Lazar Djukic (24:07):

Oh, I’m letting not, not letting her go. Yeah.

Sevan Matossian (24:10):

Oh, awesome, awesome. And, um, any, any, um, any pushback from her about how hard you’re pushing your body? Was she in, um, Dubai and did she freak out?

Lazar Djukic (24:20):

She was in Dubai and she was the one telling me to like, pull out. Yeah. And I didn’t, I didn’t listen and I should have, so she is, she is mostly right. So, yeah.

Sevan Matossian (24:31):

Um, my wife told me that and I didn’t listen. And now we have three kids.

Lazar Djukic (24:35):

<laugh>.

Sevan Matossian (24:36):

Thank you. Do we have a drum roll for that? Do we have a

Lazar Djukic (24:40):

<laugh>

Sevan Matossian (24:44):

Something? One of these button? One of these buttons. Does something

Lazar Djukic (24:48):

All, all very appropriate.

Sevan Matossian (24:50):

<laugh>. Oh, good. Thank you. Uh, oh, great question, Ram. But how do you know she’s the right one?

Lazar Djukic (24:56):

Um, like, just like we, like, you know, like there, there, there are some laws on the, on the first site and like, our, our wasn’t really on the first site because we were friends at the beginning.

Sevan Matossian (25:11):

Yeah.

Lazar Djukic (25:12):

And like, she was coming to the class that I was coaching, and yeah, I just like, <laugh>, I always say like, the first time I fell in love with her was when she came in that, uh, little yellow, um, like hoodie, hoodie with, uh, it was raining outside. Yeah. And she was wearing like, like the pink, uh, boots and Yeah, the, the yellow thing for the rain. So I was like, yeah, from that moment I fell in love and yeah, she, she was there before even like, crosses became a thing. So like, you can, you can tell like she is the one from, from all the support. I, I, I, I’ll I’m getting from her even now. And like, she, she will take days off from her, uh, job not to go for holiday. Sh she’s taking the, her. Yeah, it’s, uh,

Sevan Matossian (26:07):

You, you broke up there. Are you saying she’s, she’s taking her days off to come to the games and not to go to holiday?

Lazar Djukic (26:13):

Yeah, just a second. I’m changing the internet. Oh, okay.

Sevan Matossian (26:17):

Are we good? Yeah. Good. That’s good. Can you, Nope, you broke up. We, you froze. Maybe pull that down for a second, Caleb. And I can see a bigger Mm. Oh, now you’re back.

Lazar Djukic (26:31):

Okay. Can you repeat the question please?

Sevan Matossian (26:33):

Oh, so tell me what, what did you say? She took her, she took her holidays to come to the games as opposed to take a vacation? Yeah, yeah. Yes,

Lazar Djukic (26:39):

Exactly. Exactly. Like when, like, and she never, ever like complained about it. So yeah, she like, and she’s also plays a big, big part in my training, like she is, uh, on the spot coach. So she would like talk with und without me knowing, and she would like tell me what to do, what he said and stuff. So she’s super helpful.

Sevan Matossian (27:04):

Uh, when do you come to the States?

Lazar Djukic (27:06):

Uh, the 6th of July. So, uh, I have full week of training home, and then Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I’m coming, uh, to the states.

Sevan Matossian (27:16):

Did you say the 26th of July?

Lazar Djukic (27:18):

Yes.

Sevan Matossian (27:20):

And, um, and then the games, they, they gave it, uh, a date, right? For event one? Yes. Is it Wednesday or Thursday?

Lazar Djukic (27:27):

I think it’s Wednesday. Uh, so, uh, I’m one week, uh, before

Sevan Matossian (27:34):

There. And is that enough time for the time difference and to acclimate and all of that?

Lazar Djukic (27:38):

So like, I understand people going there to, uh, acclimate, uh, from Scandinavia and like Iceland and stuff, but in Serbia right now is like 40 degrees Celsius, which I don’t know what’s that in Fahrenheit, but it’s a lot. And I don’t, I don’t think I will really need, uh, like to acclimatize. Yeah. And I would just need to get used to the time change, and I think three days is enough for that, so.

Sevan Matossian (28:08):

Oh, okay. It’s really hot where you’re at.

Lazar Djukic (28:10):

Yeah.

Sevan Matossian (28:12):

Well, and, and you’re eight, are you eight hours ahead of me. What time is it there right now? Is it like, uh,

Lazar Djukic (28:17):

Uh, it was four 4:00 PM when we started.

Sevan Matossian (28:19):

Okay. So it’s four 30 now. What is that? Um,

Lazar Djukic (28:24):

Seven,

Sevan Matossian (28:25):

Yeah. 5, 6, 7. Yeah. And, uh, and she, and she’ll fly. And where will you guys fly when you come a week ahead? Will you go to straight to Madison or will you go to Oh yeah,

Lazar Djukic (28:33):

We are going straight to Madison. So we are, uh, flying from Belgrade to, uh, Zurich and then from Zurich to Chicago. And then my friend is speaking us from Chicago and straight to medicine.

Sevan Matossian (28:45):

And will your accommodations be the same as last year?

Lazar Djukic (28:48):

Uh, for the games week? Yes, but, uh, so like home to suite is where I’m staying. Like <laugh>, I, it, it doesn’t matter if everybody knows I, all the games outlets are staying there, so like, it, it’s basically super expensive to stay there. Uh, and I’m, I, I took another hotel, uh, the week before.

Sevan Matossian (29:10):

Oh, okay.

Lazar Djukic (29:11):

Okay. Just so I like, like it’s, you can’t imagine how expensive it is and, uh, like comparing like the week at that hotel would be another like 1,500. Yeah. Uh, dollars. And instead of, I’m paying like seven for another hotel, so like week before the games I’m in another hotel and the games week I’m gonna be in that one.

Sevan Matossian (29:33):

I, I I’m, I was asking if it’s the same as last year, because I’m guessing that there is a, a kind of, it’s, it’s pleasant to keep going to the same place. There’s a familiarity so that you, there’s less and less to be stressed about, right? Yeah. You know exactly where everything is. You know the drive back to the venue every morning. Oh,

Lazar Djukic (29:49):

It’s not a drive, it’s a

Sevan Matossian (29:50):

Walk. Oh, it is? Yeah. Oh, that’s nice. It’s

Lazar Djukic (29:54):

Just across the street. That’s why it’s so expensive.

Sevan Matossian (29:57):

Okay. ’cause those kinds of things would stress.

The above transcript is generated using AI technology and therefore may contain errors.

Check out our other posts.