By Basant El-Faramawy
Australian Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk is preparing to compete in the Elite 15 division event in Hamburg, Germany, on Friday, weeks after she continued racing despite soiling herself during a competition in Beijing.
Incident in Beijing
Wietrzyk, 24, experienced a sudden bout of diarrhoea roughly halfway through the Hyrox race in Beijing last month but chose to continue and won the women’s Pro event. She later revealed she had contracted a bacterial infection from food poisoning but felt well before the race.
Backlash and rule changes
The incident sparked global headlines and a heated debate over health risks to other competitors using contaminated equipment and lanes. Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste apologised for the organisation’s failure to stop her immediately, and the sport introduced new rules allowing race directors to withdraw athletes if bodily fluids pose a contamination risk. Organisers in Beijing removed affected equipment, closed contaminated lanes, and thoroughly cleaned the venue.
Apology and return
Wietrzyk forfeited her Beijing result, withdrew from that competition, and issued a formal apology, admitting her decision to continue was wrong. She described the online backlash as “traumatic” and said it made her consider leaving the sport. On Wednesday, she announced her return via Instagram, expressing regret to those affected and gratitude for support received, adding she is “super excited to go back to doing what I love.”
