Australian Hyrox athlete deletes ‘a win is a win’ post, apologises and forfeits Beijing win after soiling incident

Beijing, September 18 — Australian Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has withdrawn from her victory after a soiling incident during the race, apologizing for the incident and accepting responsibility. The situation arose when images and videos of Wietrzyk with visible soiled legs circulated online, sparking protests over race hygiene and safety.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV also criticized the organization for regulatory flaws that endangered participants' health and undermined the fairness of competition. Wietrzyk acknowledged she "should have made a different choice," admitting she regretted not stepping off the track. She released an Instagram post expressing her deep remorse and apology to China, fellow competitors, spectators, and Hyrox organizers.

The athlete also announced she would retroactively withdraw from the race, forfeiting her first-place finish in the 16-24 age Pro category. Hyrox introduced new rules on September 14 that allow race directors to remove athletes due to medical risks posed by blood, vomit, urine, or feces. The Chinese event organizer announced participants who raced between 2:40pm and 8:40pm would receive full refunds, while some reported potential exposure to contaminated equipment.

Hyrox co-founder Moritz Furste apologized for the organization's failure to act immediately during the race, acknowledging shortcomings in procedures that prevented judges from intervening. Following the controversy, Wietrzyk faced threats of violence, leading Hyrox to warn against such threats and promise to identify those responsible for abusive messages.