Australian Hyrox competitor apologises after finishing race with involuntary bowel incident
Joanna Wietrzyk, a 24-year-old Australian Hyrox athlete, said she should have withdrawn from a Beijing race after an involuntary bowel movement, apologised to officials and spectators, and requested to retroactively forfeit her result.
Australian Hyrox competitor Joanna Wietrzyk, 24, said she continued and won a women’s 16-to-24 division race in Beijing on Saturday despite experiencing an involuntary bowel movement during the event. The Melbourne-based athlete said she felt fit at the start and had no warning signs.
"I want to offer my sincere apology to the people of China, my fellow competitors, the spectators and the HYROX organizers for what happened during the race in Beijing," Wietrzyk said in a statement.
She added that she regretted not stepping off the track and accepted responsibility for the disruption caused. The athlete later announced she would retroactively withdraw from the competition and forfeit the 1:01:23 time that would have placed her first in her division.
"On reflection, I have decided to retroactively withdraw from the race and forfeit the points I earned," she said, thanking supporters and indicating she would take time to recover.
Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste also issued an apology, saying organizers should have intervened immediately. Hyrox, a high-intensity indoor sport combining running and exercise stations, is not yet an Olympic event but its promoters hope it could be included in future Games.