HYROX Athlete Who Soiled Herself Mid-Race Wins on Return

Joanna Wietrzyk, the HYROX competitor who faced fierce criticism after carrying on with a race despite suffering bowel incontinence, has made a winning return at the opening event of the new season in Hamburg.

The 24-year-old Australian endurance athlete became the subject of international attention last month when she chose to finish competing after losing control of her bowels during a HYROX race in Beijing.

Wietrzyk crossed the finish line first, but her result was later stripped of its points. Video showing faecal matter on her legs as she used equipment shared with other athletes spread rapidly online, prompting a wave of public outrage.

HYROX organisers apologised after the incident. Wietrzyk initially defended her decision to continue, but issued her own apology earlier this week following the backlash.

She described the reaction as “traumatic”, saying she had endured personal attacks, while acknowledging that she should have stopped competing once the incident occurred.

Speaking to the BBC, Wietrzyk said: “It was a very sudden experience. It wasn’t until about halfway through the race where everything did transpire.

“In that moment, right then and there, as a very competitive person… and an elite athlete that I am, my only focus is on racing. Obviously I did put other people at risk.”

She continued: “Yes, I did make the wrong decision but I don’t believe I should have received such backlash and such scrutiny online. At the end of the day I’m only human.”

The athlete also expressed regret over an Instagram message posted soon after the Beijing race, which included the phrases “Go hard or go home” and “a win is a win”. She said she was in “fight or flight mode” while seeking medical treatment at hospital.

“I didn’t really account for what the public would have seen that situation as.”

Asked whether the apology might be viewed as an attempt to limit the damage to her reputation, Wietrzyk said she had never anticipated that the incident would attract such widespread attention.

“I needed those days to reflect on it and process it.”

Reflecting on the mindset of elite competitors, she said: “They’re so hyper-vigilant on winning and doing the best that they can, putting their training to good use and showcasing their fitness to the world.”

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After several weeks of reflection, Wietrzyk said she had come to understand that “there is more to life… than just racing and just winning”.

Before Friday’s Hamburg race, she admitted feeling “nervous” about stepping back onto the course and hoped the controversy would not overshadow her wider career.

“I don’t want it to become my identity,” she said.

The controversy also raised wider questions about hygiene, possible contamination and whether organisers acted quickly enough after the Beijing incident.

HYROX said the affected lanes were cordoned off, contaminated equipment was taken away, and cleaning work was carried out overnight. Carpeting was also replaced before the competition continued.

HYROX China has also reportedly refunded some competitors their entry fees.

After Wietrzyk’s identity was shared online, HYROX said anyone sending abuse or threats to the athlete would be banned from future events.

Her coach, Chris Bayens, defended Wietrzyk against attacks while acknowledging that decisions made during the event could be reviewed.

‘Decisions were made under competition conditions by an athlete, judges and officials, all responding to a situation none of them could reasonably have prepared for,’ he wrote on Instagram.

‘It is very easy to construct the perfect response once the moment has passed. Hindsight gives people time, information and distance that simply did not exist for those actually living it.’

Bayens urged people to distinguish scrutiny of the incident from attacks on the athlete.

‘Sport occasionally produces moments that are imperfect and deeply human,’ he said. ‘Discussion is legitimate. The hatred and personal attacks that have followed are not.’

HYROX combines eight one-kilometre runs with eight workout stations, including sled pushes, rowing, sandbag lunges and medicine ball throws.

The competition launched in Germany in 2017 and is now held in locations across the world, with the 2026-27 season set to include races in London, Bangkok, Las Vegas and Lyon after the opener in Hamburg.