Hyrox athlete who soiled herself mid-race in Beijing apologises, forfeits win
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Australian Joanna Wietrzyk announced her decision to withdraw from the race and forfeit the points she earned for finishing first.
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
- Australian Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk apologised for soiling herself mid-race in Beijing and retroactively forfeited her win in the 16-24 age Pro category.
- Hyrox organisers introduced new rules allowing withdrawal of racers if bodily fluids pose health risks, and offered refunds to participants affected during the incident.
- The controversy sparked debate on hygiene standards and led to sponsor Puma pulling her clothing line; the rule change is welcomed ahead of Singapore's upcoming Hyrox event.
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The athlete who triggered a fierce debate over hygiene standards by continuing to race at a Hyrox event last weekend in Beijing after defecating midway through has apologised.
In an Instagram post on Sept 17, Joanna Wietrzyk, the 24-year-old Australian athlete, said she “regrets the decision to not have stepped off the track”.
“I want to offer my sincere apology to the people of China, my fellow competitors, the spectators and the Hyrox organisers for what happened during the race in Beijing,” she added.
Wietrzyk also announced her decision to retroactively withdraw from the race and forfeit the points she earned for finishing first in the 16-24 age pro category race on Sept 12.
The apology comes after Hyrox organisers announced new rules on Sept 14, allowing race directors to withdraw racers on medical grounds if their “blood, vomit, urine or faeces pose a welfare or contamination risk” to themselves or other racers.
Two days later, some participants in the Beijing race were informed that they would be offered full refunds, notably those who were racing between 2.40pm and 8.40pm on race day.
The incident in Beijing saw Wietrzyk soil herself mid-race. Instead of stopping, she continued to complete the stations, contaminating equipment and causing a furore among other participants.
“I am learning from this experience and will carry those lessons with me, including remembering that there is more to life than racing and knowing when it is right to step away,” Wietrzyk said in the post.
Some netizens branded Wietrzyk’s apology a forced public relations move, pointing out that her initial response in a now-deleted post was simply: “A win is a win.”
The statement also follows moves by her primary sponsor, Puma, to pull her clothing line from its online store.
After Wietrzyk’s identity circulated online, Hyrox warned that anyone sending threats of violence or abuse would be permanently banned from all future events, adding that its team was actively identifying those responsible.
“Frustration should never be directed towards the athletes themselves,” the race organiser said.
That initial Instagram statement from Hyrox, posted earlier in September, has since been deleted.
It drew significant backlash from netizens angry that the organisation had not adequately addressed public health concerns over the soiling incident in Beijing.
Hyrox, which has surged in popularity in recent years, is an indoor fitness race that combines running and functional workout stations.
Competitors use shared equipment – including sleds, rowers and sandbags – that they must physically touch and pass around during the race.
The recent Hyrox rule change has been welcomed by the broader community, particularly racers in Singapore ahead of the upcoming fitness racing event at the Singapore Expo from Nov 26 to 29, which is expected to draw more than 14,000 competitors.