Hyrox organisers respond to backlash after athlete soiled herself during competition
Hyrox organisers have released a statement following the widespread backlash after a woman completed a race in Beijing despite soiling herself midway through.
Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk, 24, who holds the current women's world record in the sport, went viral over the weekend after footage emerged of her continuing to push through the race after clearly having an accident, with faecal matter smeared down her legs.
Ignoring her bowel issues, she went on to win the race with an impressive time of one hour, one minute, and 23 seconds
It’s sparked a debate on social media about athletes pushing themselves to their limits and how much is too much.
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The move also sparked backlash since the Hyrox equipment is shared between athletes, and at times, faecal matter could reportedly also be seen on the rubber flooring and station areas.
As per the BBC, which cited Chinese media, some participants demanded an apology and a refund, arguing that they were forced to come into contact with contaminated equipment.
In a now-deleted Instagram Story post after the race, Wietrzyk shared a photo of her hooked up to an IV drip, captioned: “Go hard or go home ... a win is a win.”
She added: “In all seriousness, thank you for all the support. I'll be back soon x.”
Now, as we say, Hyrox organisers have since spoken out and issued a statement to Instagram on Sunday (13 September).
An official statement from Hyrox’s organisers
The post read: “To our community, as our sport continues to evolve we are encountering new and increasingly complex situations that challenge us and where additional clarity is needed. This happened this weekend in China.
“We ask our athletes to push themselves to the highest levels. At times, they will go beyond what even we thought was possible. That courage, resilience and refusal to give in are precisely what makes elite athletes so extraordinary.
“Our role is to give them the right framework and the right boundaries within which they can compete, perform and express themselves at their very best.”
The company urged: “HYROX has clear biocontaminant and medical procedures in place. In this instance, an unforeseen situation arose in which protocols designed for elite competition and mass participation became blurred, creating ambiguity in how they were applied and understood.
“We recognise that this can understandably lead to frustration, questions and strong views within our community.
“Those concerns are legitimate and, as organisers, we must be prepared to hear them, examine what happened and take responsibility for continuing to improve. And we will.”
The statement then went on to slam those who are sending hate and ‘threats of violence’ to Wietrzyk over the incident.
Organisers wrote: “But there is an important line. Frustration should never be directed towards the athletes themselves. They are the people who put themselves on the line, compete at the highest level and make competition what it is.
“There is no place in our community for threats of violence or encouragement to harm an athlete. As this has happened this weekend, we want to be very clear and direct.”
They warned: “Any person identified as engaging in this behaviour – whether through comments, direct messages or social media – will be permanently banned from all HYROX events. We are currently reviewing and identifying those responsible, and action will be taken.”
The statement concluded: “We are proud of what we have built together: a global movement driven by ambition, passion, grit and an extraordinary community of people who care deeply about this sport.
“We will continue to listen. We will continue to learn. And, above all, we will continue to put the welfare and dignity of the athletes at the centre of what comes next.
“We move forward together – with passion, with grit and with mutual respect.”
LADbible Group has reached out to Wietrzyk's representatives for comment.
Topics: News, Life, Real Life, Sport, World News
Madison Burgess