HYROX has issued guidance to staff, contractors and representatives working this weekend’s HYROX Salt Lake City event instructing them not to publicly discuss the incident that occurred at HYROX Beijing last weekend.
The guidance, obtained by Hybrid Fitness Media, applies to “full-time and part-time employees, contractors, ambassadors and emcees” and specifically includes their personal social media accounts.
Those receiving questions are instructed not to provide personal commentary or additional information and instead direct people to the official statement from HYROX co-founder Moritz Fürste and @hyroxworld.
The guidance was sent by Billy Rodgers, HYROX Managing Director for North America. It also tells recipients needing additional support to contact their direct line managers, who will escalate the matter to Rodgers. Rodgers oversees HYROX’s North American business.
The full guidance reads:
Guidance for Public & Media Inquiries Re: Beijing Incident
As employees, contractors and representatives of HYROX, we are all extensions of the brand. This applies to full-time and part-time employees, contractors, ambassadors and emcees. Please do not comment on or discuss this situation publicly, including from your personal social media accounts. Even when speaking in a personal capacity, comments could be interpreted or misconstrued as representing HYROX’s position.
If you are asked about the situation, please do not offer personal commentary or share any additional information. Our consistent response is:
“HYROX Co-founder Moritz Fürste has shared an official statement addressing this directly. We’d point you to his statement on his Instagram and @hyroxworld for the latest information.”
If you receive follow-up questions, please continue to direct people to the official statement rather than commenting further. Should you need additional support, please reach out to your direct line managers who will escalate the situation to me.
The guidance follows the September 12 incident at HYROX Beijing involving Joanna Wietrzyk, who experienced gastrointestinal issues while competing.
HYROX China has since acknowledged that officials failed to promptly remove the athlete from the course. In a communication to affected athletes, HYROX China apologized, announced full refunds for athletes competing during specified afternoon waves and said the HYROX Rulebook has been updated globally to include an emergency-response protocol for biological-contamination incidents.