Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has issued a sincere apology after she soiled herself during an event in Beijing, China, with the Australian admitting she should have stepped off the track and announcing she will forfeit her points.
Apology after backlash
The 24-year-old Australian, who holds a world record in the Hyrox women's solo category, recently grabbed headlines after she defecated during a competition in China. The incident happened while she was performing burpees, an exercise Wietrzyk has previously admitted she detests. Despite the mishap, she came away from the event victorious.
However, she has faced fierce criticism, with people questioning the cleanliness standards of Hyrox competitions, as well as the welfare of fellow competitors who were left incensed that she was permitted to carry on.
Statement of regret
After the competition, Wietrzyk turned to social media to give her followers an update. Writing on Instagram, she posted, "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."
Yet, despite previously boasting about persevering in the competition after defecating, Wietrzyk has now delivered a sincere apology to everyone connected with the event, clarifying what actually occurred.
In an extensive statement, Wietrzyk said, "I want to offer my 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 recognize 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."
Forfeiting points
She added: "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.
"Thank you to those standing by me, both as an athlete and as a person, during this time, and to everyone who has reached out with kindness and support.
"It means more to me than I can properly express right now. I will be taking some time to recover, reflect and look after myself and my family away from the noise."
Hyrox admits mistake
Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste has also issued an apology to Wietrzyk's fellow competitors, acknowledging the organisation's error in permitting the Australian to carry on.
"Hyrox made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race," he wrote in a statement. "In the end it is my job to foresee these potential incidents - and I did not."
Fürste also revealed that Hyrox has implemented changes to its rules and procedures, but failed to elaborate on what those alterations entailed. "As of this moment, there are new rules and procedures in place to prevent situations like this from happening again," he said.
