Aussie HYROX Athlete, 24, Apologizes After Soiling Herself During Competition and Forfeits Win Following Global Backlash
An Australian athlete has issued an apology for not exiting a race after she became ill.
Sept. 17 2026, Published 1:45 p.m. ET
An Australian athlete has apologized following her refusal to withdraw from a Hyrox race after soiling herself, RadarOnline.com can report.
Joanna Wietrzyk, the top-ranked global women’s singles athlete, was allowed to continue and ultimately win a race in China after suffering from diarrhea during the event.
Joanna Wietrzyk Race Details and Apology
Joanna Wietrzyk was competing in a global even when she experience diarrhea.
Wietrzyk was competing in the Women’s Pro division in Beijing when the 24-year-old had her accident. But she kept running, even as fecal matter smeared across her arms and legs.
After grossed-out critics ripped her victory, she released a statement Thursday, September 17, offering a "sincere apology” to the people of China, her fellow competitors, the spectators, and the Hyrox organizers.
"I felt completely fit and healthy at the start of the race, with no reason to expect any illness," she stated. "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."
'I Will Be Taking Some Time to Recover'
She decided to keep racing, even as the sickness spread.
The racer then announced that she would retroactively withdraw from the race and forfeit the points she earned.
"I know my actions had an impact beyond myself, and I am genuinely sorry to everyone who was affected," she continued. "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."
She wrapped up her apology with a note of thanks.
"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," she noted. "I will be taking some time to recover, reflect, and look after myself and my family away from the noise."
Joanna Wietrzyk Posted a Different Note Days Earlier
Wietrzyk seemed to joke about the incident immediately after the race.
However, outraged critics rejected that apology, pointing to a now-deleted post from Wietrzyk that she shared just hours after her debacle, seemingly joking about it.
The photo featured Wietrzyk post-race in a medical bed, smirking as she received some fluids. She dismissively captioned the snap, "Go hard or go home they say... a win is a win."
Hyrox, which was founded in Germany in 2017, is described on its website as "the fastest-growing fitness sport in the world."
Participants run 1 km, followed by one functional workout station, repeated eight times. Functional workouts include sled pushes, rowing, burpee broad jumps, and wall balls.
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Critics Weren't Convinced
Critics refused to forgive her or accept her apology.
After uncovering her deleted post, many social media users were convinced that was how she truly felt.
"Didn't you say 'a win is a win' at first?" one person commented. "Honestly, this feels more like damage control than a genuine response."
"A real person would've apologized the same day. Not almost a week later," another slammed. "The real person posted 'a win is a win.' This is a PR reply."
While a third blasted, "[It] only took her like 5 days after the race, and Hyrox has to refund people, and Puma has pulled her off [its] site. This is a forced apology because of the sponsorship and backlash. Her first post, 'win is a win,' is exactly how she felt."
