Hyrox athlete apologises for continuing race after soiling herself
Joanna Wietrzyk has also forfeited her win in the fitness competition after competing last week.
Hyrox athlete apologises for continuing race after soiling herself
Joanna Wietrzyk said she was "genuinely sorry to everyone who was affected"
An athlete who drew criticism for carrying on in a Hyrox event after soiling herself has apologised and said she will withdraw from the race retroactively.
Joanna Wietrzyk issued her "sincere apology" for what happened during the indoor fitness competition in Beijing on Saturday, saying she should have "made a different choice" and left the event.
Video of Wietrzyk continuing to compete after soiling herself prompted hygiene concerns, and Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste apologised for how the situation was handled.
In a statement posted on social media on Thursday, Wietrzyk said: "I know my actions had an impact beyond myself, and I am genuinely sorry to everyone who was affected."
Following the backlash, Wietrzyk, who won the Beijing race, said she would give up her victory.
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."
"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," Wietrzyk continued.
Hyrox said it had "clear biocontaminant and medical procedures in place".
It said "an unforeseen situation arose" in which protocols became blurred, "creating ambiguity in how they were applied and understood".
In a statement on Instagram, Fürste pledged to "improving event processes" to "prevent situations like this from happening again".
Hyrox was founded in Germany in 2017 and has become a global sensation in recent years
After Wietrzyk's identity was revealed online, Hyrox said anyone sending abuse or threats to the athlete would be barred from future events.
It said on Monday: "There is no place in our community for threats of violence or encouragement to harm an athlete."
In each Hyrox race, competitors alternate between running a kilometre and completing fitness exercises, including a sled push, burpee jumps, indoor rowing, and lunges while carrying a sandbag.
The competition has surged in popularity since it was founded in 2017 in Hamburg, Germany, and is now staged around the world. The sport made its mainland China debut in late 2024.
Some have questioned why officials at the Beijing competition last weekend did not step in when the athlete soiled herself, given that Hyrox penalises acts including "spitting, nostril clearing, littering, and water abuse".