Australian Hyrox competitor Joanna Wietrzyk has offered an apology — and retroactively withdrawn from the race and forfeited her points — after soiling herself during the event in Beijing.
The incident went viral on social media, with videos and images shared of her continuing the race - which she went on to win in the 16-24 age Pro category - sparking backlash from many online.
The day of the event Wietrzyk posted a now-deleted Instagram post, saying: "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."
Now, she posted a new statement to her Instagram account offering a "sincere apology to the people of China, my fellow competitors, the spectators and the HYROX organizers for what happened during the race in Beijing".
"I felt completely fit and healthy at the start of the race, with no reason to expect any illness. Looking back, I regret the decision to not have stepped off the track. I recognise that I should have made a different choice. I take responsibility for my decision to continue and am deeply sorry for the discomfort and disruption it caused," she wrote.
"I know my actions had an impact beyond myself, and I am genuinely sorry to everyone who was affected. 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. On reflection, I have decided to retroactively withdraw from the race and forfeit the points I earned."
She went on to thank those who supported her and had "reached out with kindness and support".
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including the King’s warnings about AI, and an under fire Hyrox star finally apologises. (Source: Breakfast)
Many people criticised the event organisers for allowing Wietrzyk to continue the race, highlighting health risks created by traces of faeces left on competition mats and communal equipment as participants trailed behind her.
Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste apologised to all those affected "directly or indirectly" by the incident and said the organisation would look to change the rules.
The updated rules now state that if a "racer's blood, vomit, urine, or faeces poses a welfare or contamination risk to the racer or to other racers, a race director may withdraw the racer from the race on medical grounds".
Before the rule change, competitors were penalised for littering, spitting, or clearing their nostrils onto the race course.
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