Australian HYROX athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has apologised for continuing to compete after soiling herself during an endurance event in Beijing, and has forfeited the victory and points she earned.
The 24-year-old from Melbourne refused to withdraw from last Saturday’s race despite faeces running down her legs as she continued towards the finish. Her decision prompted widespread criticism of the athlete and organisers for allowing her to remain on the course.
In a statement, Wietrzyk apologised to fellow competitors, spectators, organisers and people in China, saying she had felt “completely fit and healthy” before the event and had no reason to expect any illness.
“Looking back, I regret the decision to not have stepped off the track. I recognize that I should have made a different choice,” she wrote.
“I take responsibility for my decision to continue and am deeply sorry for the discomfort and disruption it caused.”
Wietrzyk said she was “genuinely sorry to everyone who was affected” and had decided to withdraw from the race retrospectively.
“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 said.
She added that she would take time to recover and reflect “away from the noise”, while thanking those who had supported her during the backlash.
The incident led HYROX co-founder Moritz Fürste to promise immediate changes to the event’s rules. Before the Beijing race, athletes could be penalised for infringements including littering or clearing their noses on the course, but there were no specific rules relating to faecal matter.
Reaction to the HYROX athlete apology was divided, with some questioning why it had taken almost a week to be issued and others arguing that it was impossible to know how competitors would react in such an unexpected situation.
Wietrzyk initially posted that “a win is a win” after the event, but later deleted the message and declined to comment publicly until issuing her apology. She subsequently disabled comments on the statement and her other posts.
Her coach, Chris Bayens, defended her while condemning what he described as “hatred and personal attacks”. He said the athlete, judges and officials had all been responding to circumstances for which they could not reasonably have prepared.
“Those decisions can be reviewed and lessons can be taken from them,” Bayens wrote. “But judging someone’s intent, character or morality through the clarity of hindsight is neither fair nor honest.”
Puma has also removed references to Wietrzyk from several of its country websites following the controversy.
