SYDNEY, Australia — Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has apologized after continuing to compete in a Hyrox indoor fitness race in Beijing despite soiling herself during the event.
Wietrzyk completed the race over the weekend with fecal matter on her legs and shoes while continuing to use the mats and equipment. Images and reports of the incident went viral on social media, prompting criticism over possible health and safety risks to other competitors.
“I want to offer my sincere apologies to the people of China, my fellow competitors, spectators and the Hyrox organizers for what happened during the race in Beijing,” Wietrzyk said in an Instagram post.
The 23-year-old world-record holder said she felt fit and healthy before the competition and had no reason to expect that she would become ill.
“In hindsight, I regret the decision not to leave the track. I understand that I should have made a different choice,” she said.
Wietrzyk said she has retroactively withdrawn from the race and will return the points she earned from the competition.
“I’m 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 walk away,” she added.
She also said she would take time to recover, reflect and spend time with her family away from the public attention surrounding the incident.
Hyrox, a fitness competition founded in Germany and now held in several countries, combines running with strength exercises such as lunges and rowing.
Hyrox co-founder Moritz Furste previously apologized to those affected and acknowledged that the organization failed to respond immediately during the race.
“Hyrox got it wrong by not reacting immediately during the race,” Furste said, adding that it was his responsibility to anticipate such incidents.
The organization has since updated its rules. Under the revised policy, a race director may medically withdraw a competitor if blood, vomit, urine or feces creates a health or contamination risk to the athlete or other competitors.
