Hyrox co-founder sorry for Beijing incident, pledges rule changes after backlash

Moritz Furste issues apology days after Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk’s accident during her race left faecal matter on course

Hyrox co-founder Moritz Furste has apologised for the events in Beijing over the weekend, and said his organisation had begun revising event operations and updating its rule book.

The commercial fitness competition has faced intense public backlash ever since elite Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk soiled herself during the solo women’s event, which she went on to win.

The incident raised severe concerns over whether prompt sanitation was carried out and whether the hygiene rights of other competitors who used the same course and equipment were protected.

Two days after the race, following an initial official statement acknowledging organisational lapses that failed to satisfy the public, Furste released a joint post on the official Hyrox World account addressing the fallout directly.