'I regret not stepping off': Joanna Wietrzyk apologises after HYROX Beijing incident, forfeits points
Australian fitness athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has issued a public apology after facing backlash for continuing to compete in a HYROX race in Beijing following an involuntary bowel movement during the event. The 24-year-old, who finished first in the 16–24 age Pro category, has decided to retrospectively withdraw from the race and forfeit the points she earned.
Wietrzyk addressed the incident in a statement shared on Instagram on September 17, five days after the competition. She apologised to the people of China, fellow competitors, spectators and HYROX organisers, acknowledging that she should have stepped off the course.
“I take responsibility for my decision to continue and am deeply sorry for the discomfort and disruption it caused,” she wrote.
Wietrzyk says she regrets continuing the race
The incident occurred during the HYROX competition in Beijing on September 12. Wietrzyk suffered an involuntary bowel movement midway through the race but continued competing and used shared workout equipment as she made her way through the event. The incident attracted widespread attention on social media, with criticism focused on hygiene and the potential impact on other competitors.
In her statement, Wietrzyk said she had felt completely fit and healthy before the race and had no reason to expect she would become ill.
“Looking back, I regret the decision to not have stepped off the track. I recognise that I should have made a different choice,” she said.
She added that the experience had reminded her that there was more to life than racing and that it was important to know when to step away. Wietrzyk also thanked those who had supported her during the controversy, saying she would take time away from public attention to recover, reflect and spend time with her family.
HYROX apologises and changes rules
The incident also prompted a response from HYROX, with co-founder Moritz Fürste issuing an apology on behalf of the organisation. Fürste acknowledged that officials should have intervened during the race.
HYROX subsequently updated its global rulebook, giving race directors explicit authority to medically disqualify participants if bodily fluids, including blood, vomit, urine or faeces, pose a contamination or safety risk to other competitors using shared workout stations.
Wietrzyk addressed the incident in a statement shared on Instagram on September 17, five days after the competition. She apologised to the people of China, fellow competitors, spectators and HYROX organisers, acknowledging that she should have stepped off the course.
“I take responsibility for my decision to continue and am deeply sorry for the discomfort and disruption it caused,” she wrote.
Wietrzyk says she regrets continuing the race
The incident occurred during the HYROX competition in Beijing on September 12. Wietrzyk suffered an involuntary bowel movement midway through the race but continued competing and used shared workout equipment as she made her way through the event. The incident attracted widespread attention on social media, with criticism focused on hygiene and the potential impact on other competitors.
In her statement, Wietrzyk said she had felt completely fit and healthy before the race and had no reason to expect she would become ill.
“Looking back, I regret the decision to not have stepped off the track. I recognise that I should have made a different choice,” she said.
She added that the experience had reminded her that there was more to life than racing and that it was important to know when to step away. Wietrzyk also thanked those who had supported her during the controversy, saying she would take time away from public attention to recover, reflect and spend time with her family.
HYROX apologises and changes rules
The incident also prompted a response from HYROX, with co-founder Moritz Fürste issuing an apology on behalf of the organisation. Fürste acknowledged that officials should have intervened during the race.
HYROX subsequently updated its global rulebook, giving race directors explicit authority to medically disqualify participants if bodily fluids, including blood, vomit, urine or faeces, pose a contamination or safety risk to other competitors using shared workout stations.
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