Hyrox athlete who soiled herself mid-race in Beijing apologises, forfeits win

The athlete who triggered a fierce debate over hygiene standards after continuing to race after defecating midway through a Hyrox event in Beijing last weekend has apologised.

In an Instagram post on Sept 17, the 24-year-old Australian athlete, Joanna Wietrzyk, said she “regret(s) 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 said.

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 on Sept 14 announced new rules, allowing race directors to withdraw racers on medical grounds if their “blood, vomit, urine or faeces poses a welfare or contamination risk” to themselves or other racers.

Two days later, some participants at 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 appearing to soil herself mid-race. Instead of stopping, she continued to complete the stations, leading to equipment contamination and 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.

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.

The rule change has been welcomed by the broader Hyrox 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 over 14,000 competitors.