Hyrox Beijing athletes get full refund, new hygiene rule will allow competitors to be axed

Athletes finished after women’s elite winner Joanna Wietrzyk on Saturday to get cash back. Australian would have been removed under new rules

Hyrox China has given full refunds to competitors affected by last weekend’s incident in Beijing, while the global governing body has updated its rule book to allow race directors to remove athletes if they pose a risk to the hygiene of the event.

The commercial fitness competition has faced intense public backlash since elite Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk suffered incontinence during the solo women’s event but was allowed to carry on and win.

Her mid-race left track surfaces and shared equipment contaminated for more than 1,000 subsequent participants.

In an email sent to participants on Wednesday, organisers offered to refund entry costs to those who started before 2.40pm on Saturday but had not finished by that time, as well as all athletes who departed in heat batches between 2.40pm and 8.40pm.