Hyrox has apologised after a competitor appeared to carry on competing in one of its events after soiling herself. The incident occurred at a race in Beijing, China, where video footage seemingly showed a woman defecating herself while completing the fitness-based athletics event.
Rather than stopping, Australian fitness influencer Joanna Wietrzyk carried on competing, with pictures of her running and lifting weights while covered in faeces. The entrant, who is a well-known figure in Hyrox circles and holds several records in the sport, ended up winning the competition in spite of her accident.
Athlete defends her actions
Wietrzyk appeared unapologetic despite coming in for criticism. In a post on Instagram she wrote: "Go hard or go home they say... a win is a win. In all seriousness, thank you for all the support. I'll be back soon x."
Her actions have divided sports fans, with some complimenting her tough attitude while others have slammed her for potentially risking the health of other competitors. One user who saw the positives in her actions wrote: "Get comfortable with being uncomfortable", while another discussion characterised it as a "Rocky Balboa never give up mentality."
Criticism and hygiene concerns
But not everyone was so impressed. One user wrote: "Girlllll…what the actual hell is wrong with you??? I'm struggling to see any justification in this s*** storm."
Someone else wrote: "As a Hyrox athlete and PUMA customer, I'm genuinely disappointed by what happened at Hyrox Beijing involving your sponsored athlete Joanna Wietrzyk. Losing control of your body is not something anyone should be shamed for. But choosing to continue racing while visibly contaminating shared equipment and the competition floor - leaving other athletes to race behind her and staff to clean it up - is a completely different issue."
Hyrox apologises and promises changes
Hyrox has apologised after coming under fire for allowing an athlete to finish a race in Beijing despite soiling herself midway through the event. Co-founder Moritz Fürste admitted organisers "did not handle the situation like we should have", and apologised to everyone affected "directly or indirectly". He also accepted responsibility for failing to foresee what happened and promised immediate rule changes and improved event processes to stop a repeat.
The apology came after competitors raised hygiene concerns, with some reportedly demanding refunds after coming into contact with contaminated equipment. Hyrox had earlier admitted its "medical and biocontaminant protocols" became "blurred" during the incident, but defended the athlete from online abuse and threatened permanent bans for anyone sending her threats of violence.
