Australian HYROX athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has apologized after suffering a bowel incontinence incident during the women's Elite race at the HYROX Beijing event on Sept. 12, acknowledging that she should have withdrawn from the competition and announcing that she will give up the points she earned from the race.
The incident sparked major controversy after Wietrzyk defecated during the race, with faeces contaminating the course, a sled mat and shared equipment, affecting competitors who followed her. After being notified, a judge only told other athletes to avoid the affected area and did not stop the race. Wietrzyk went on to win the event, triggering widespread controversy.
Wietrzyk issued a statement on Thursday (Sept. 17), offering her sincere apologies to Chinese spectators, fellow competitors and the event organizers over what happened during the Beijing race.
Wietrzyk wrote that she felt physically well when the race began and did not expect to experience any discomfort. However, looking back on the decision she made at the time, she said she believed she should have left the course.
Wietrzyk said she took responsibility for choosing to continue the race, adding that she knew her actions had affected others. She expressed her sincere apologies to everyone who was affected by the incident.
She said she would learn from the experience, including understanding that life is about more than competition and recognising when it is time to step away.
After careful consideration, Wietrzyk said she had decided to retrospectively withdraw from the race and forfeit the points she had previously earned.
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