An Australian athlete who sparked an outcry when she kept competing despite soiling herself midway through an event in Beijing apologised Friday and forfeited her points from winning.
Joanna Wietrzyk finished the Hyrox indoor fitness race last weekend with excrement on her legs and shoes, continuing to use the mats and equipment.
It sparked backlash about potential health hazards posed to other competitors and went viral on social media. “I want to offer my sincere apology to the people of China, my fellow competitors, the spectators and the Hyrox organisers for what happened during the race in Beijing,” Wietrzyk said on Instagram.
“I felt completely fit and healthy at the start of the race, with no reason to expect any illness.
“Looking back, I regret the decision to not have stepped off the track. I recognise that I should have made a different choice.”
The 23-year-old world record holder said she had retroactively withdrawn from the race and would hand back the points earned from competing.
“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 added. “I will be taking some time to recover, reflect and look after myself and my family away from the noise.”
Hyrox, a popular fitness competition launched in Germany and held worldwide, features a mixture of treadmill running and strength exercises, such as lunges and rowing.
Co-founder Moritz Furste apologised on Monday to “all who were directly or indirectly involved” as intense criticism swelled over its health and safety standards.
“Hyrox made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race,” added Furste. “In the end it is my job to foresee these potential incidents – and I did not.”
It has since updated its rules.
They now state that if a “racer’s blood, vomit, urine, or faeces poses a welfare or contamination risk to the racer or to other racers, a race director may withdraw the racer from the race on medical grounds.”
