“Hyrox made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race.
“In the end it is my job to foresee these potential incidents, and I did not.”
Fürste said the organisation had begun improving its event processes and changing its rulebook.
“As of this moment, there are new rules and procedures in place to prevent situations like this from happening again.
“We learn and try to get better every day.”
Melbourne athlete Joanna Wietrzyk at the Hyrox event in Beijing. Photo / Instagram
The apology follows controversy over Wietrzyk’s performance at the international Hyrox event in Beijing.
Video and photos show Wietrzyk completing the busy Hyrox course despite faeces running down her legs.
She completed all the exercises across multiple stations, including the rowing machine, after the incident.
Wietrzyk posted a selfie after the event saying ‘a win is a win’. Photo / Instagram
In a since-deleted Instagram story posted after the event, Wietrzyk shared a selfie showing her hooked up to an IV drip.
“Go hard or go home … a win is a win. In all seriousness, thank you for all the support. I’ll be back soon x,” she wrote.
An earlier statement by event organisers did not apologise but did touch on some of the frustration.
They said equipment was removed and lanes were closed for sanitation after the incident.
Carpet was replaced and the venue was deep-cleaned overnight before competitors used it the following day.
“Hyrox has clear biocontaminant and medical procedures in place,” the earlier statement read.
“In this instance, an unforeseen situation arose in which protocols designed for elite competition and mass participation became blurred, creating ambiguity in how they were applied and understood.
“We recognise that this can understandably lead to frustration, questions and strong views within our community. Those concerns are legitimate and, as organisers, we must be prepared to hear them, examine what happened and take responsibility for continuing to improve. And we will.”
People reacting to images posted online slammed organisers, saying they should have acted faster to protect competitors as many came into contact with contaminated equipment.
Some online defended the athlete’s determination to push through, while others pointed out she could have taken a break and still returned to win.
Several social media users blamed organisers, saying they failed to maintain sanitary standards and ensure participants’ safety who had to use contaminated equipment.
“Hyrox should have immediately stopped her when it happened. There are no blurred lines here.
“I respect that she finished the competition. However, other athletes have to use the same equipment after her,” someone wrote on Reddit.
Hyrox is a popular indoor fitness competition that challenges participants to run 1km, followed by a functional workout station, repeated eight times.
The functional workouts include sled pushes, sled pulls and sandbag lunges, among others. Athletes run 8km overall, with a workout every kilometre.