Joanna Wietrzyk apologises and will retroactively withdraw after soiling herself during Hyrox event in Beijing

Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk apologised and said she will retroactively withdraw from a Hyrox indoor fitness competition in Beijing on Saturday after footage showed her soiling herself and continuing to compete. Wietrzyk also said she would forfeit her win in the Beijing race.

Footage of Wietrzyk competing after the incident prompted hygiene concerns and public criticism, and Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste apologised for the way the situation was handled. In a statement shared on Thursday, Wietrzyk offered her "sincere apology" and said she should have "made a different choice" and exited the event.

Wietrzyk wrote that she was "completely fit and healthy" at the start of the race and had "no reason" to expect any illness. She added: "I know my actions had an impact beyond myself, and I am genuinely sorry to everyone who was affected." She also said: "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."

Hyrox said it had "clear biocontaminant and medical procedures in place" but that "an unforeseen situation arose" during which protocols became blurred, "creating ambiguity in how they were applied and understood." Fürste committed to "improving event processes" to "prevent situations like this from happening again."

After Wietrzyk's identity was shared online, Hyrox warned that anyone sending abuse or threats would be banned from future events and stated on Monday: "There is no place in our community for threats of violence or encouragement to harm an athlete." The footage and subsequent online reaction prompted the organiser to emphasise sanctions against abusive behaviour.

Hyrox races alternate between running one kilometre and a series of fitness exercises, which the organisation lists as a sled push, burpee jumps, indoor rowing and lunges while carrying a sandbag. The competition was founded in Hamburg, Germany, in 2017 and is now staged internationally; the sport debuted in mainland China in late 2024.

Some observers questioned why officials at the Beijing event did not intervene when the athlete soiled herself, noting that Hyrox penalises acts including "spitting, nostril clearing, littering, and water abuse." Wietrzyk has said she will forfeit her victory and Hyrox has pledged to revise event processes to prevent a recurrence.