Australian Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has won her first competition since the controversy in Beijing last month, where she continued to race after soiling herself. The 24-year-old from Melbourne cruised to victory in Hamburg on Friday, in the opening round of the 2026-27 Hyrox Elite 15 Series, defeating Lauren Weeks.
Wietrzyk had taken a six-week break after the incident in September. Images of faecal matter on her body were widely shared online. She subsequently withdrew from the Beijing event, forfeited her points and issued a public apology.
In an interview with the BBC ahead of her return, Wietrzyk acknowledged she had made “the wrong decision” by continuing to race. “I didn't really think about those around me… the decision that I made in hindsight was the wrong decision and I'm truly sorry for everyone that I did affect,” she said. She said she had suffered a bacterial infection from food poisoning but went into the race “feeling fresh, feeling really, really good”.
The backlash took a heavy emotional toll. “Yes, I did make the wrong decision but I don't believe I should have received such backlash and such scrutiny online… At the end of the day I'm only human,” she told the BBC. She described it as a “mentally and emotionally taxing period” and said her family had also received threats.
Wietrzyk said she considered quitting the sport. “I've gone through moments and weeks of 'maybe we should just stop' and just go back to doing a normal job and just remove myself from social media entirely,” she said. “I went through a very, very low period mentally and emotionally.”
Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste apologised for not reacting immediately during the race. New rules have been introduced giving race directors the power to remove athletes if their vomit, urine or faeces pose a risk of contamination or threaten the welfare of themselves or others. Hyrox China has reportedly refunded some competitors their entry fees.
Wietrzyk is the women's solo professional Hyrox world record holder. Her next major event is the Hyrox Elite Series in London, scheduled for December 3-6.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Wietrzyk's return to winning form shows the incident has not derailed her career, but the controversy continues to shadow the sport.
- Hyrox's new rules signal a shift in how the rapidly growing competition handles health and safety risks during events.
- The case has sparked wider debate about the lengths elite athletes go to win and the intensity of online backlash.
Background
Hyrox is a global fitness race combining 8 kilometres of running with eight functional work-out stations, using shared equipment. It was founded in 2017 in Hamburg and has exploded in popularity. In September, Wietrzyk suffered a bout of diarrhoea roughly halfway through the Beijing event but continued racing, crossing the line first. The incident drew intense criticism, with many questioning why officials did not stop her. Wietrzyk initially posted defiant comments on Instagram but later apologised and retroactively withdrew. Hyrox apologised and introduced new rules empowering race directors to remove athletes whose bodily fluids pose a contamination risk.
Key Perspectives
Joanna Wietrzyk: Said she made “the wrong decision” by continuing and was “truly sorry for everyone that I did affect”. She said she did not expect such global scrutiny and that the backlash was “traumatic”. She considered quitting the sport but has returned with her family’s support.
Moritz Fürste, Hyrox co-founder: Apologised and said it had been a mistake not to react immediately during the race. The company introduced new rules to give race directors the power to remove athletes whose vomit, urine or faeces pose a contamination risk.
What to Watch
- Wietrzyk's next competition at the Hyrox Elite Series in London (December 3-6) and whether the controversy fades as she continues to compete.
- How Hyrox enforces its new rules at future events and whether further incidents prompt additional changes.
- The long-term impact on Wietrzyk's mental health and public image as she remains active on social media.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 3 sources: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedWietrzyk won her first competition since the Beijing controversy, returning to race in Hamburg.Just In: “The event marked the opening round of the 2026-27 HYROX Elite 15 Series and Wietrzyk's first competition since the Beijing controversy.”
- SupportedWietrzyk admitted putting others at risk by continuing to race.BBC News: ““Obviously I did put other people at risk,” she admitted.”
- SupportedWietrzyk won in Hamburg on Friday, defeating Lauren Weeks.Just In: “she returned in emphatic fashion, cruising to victory over Lauren Weeks at HYROX Hamburg in Germany.”
- SupportedHamburg was the opening round of the 2026-27 Hyrox Elite 15 Series.Just In: “The event marked the opening round of the 2026-27 HYROX Elite 15 Series”
- SupportedWietrzyk continued racing after soiling herself in Beijing.BBC News: “Australian Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk says she made the wrong decision when she continued to race after soiling herself during a competition in Beijing.”
- SupportedWietrzyk said she did not think about those around her and called continuing to race the wrong decision.BBC News: “"I didn't really think about those around me… the decision that I made in hindsight was the wrong decision and I'm truly sorry for everyone that I did affect," the athlete told the BBC.”
- SupportedWietrzyk said she had a bacterial infection from food poisoning and went into the race feeling fresh.The Age - Latest News: “Wietrzyk said that despite suffering from food poisoning she went into the race “feeling fresh, feeling really, really good”.”
- SupportedWietrzyk said she did not believe she deserved the online backlash and scrutiny, adding that she was only human.The Age - Latest News: ““Yes, I did make the wrong decision, but I don’t believe I should have received such backlash and such scrutiny online … At the end of the day, I’m only human,” she said.”
- SupportedWietrzyk said the period was mentally and emotionally taxing and that her family had received threats.BBC News: “Wietrzyk told the BBC that it had been a "mentally and emotionally taxing period" and she had not expected the global scrutiny, saying her family had also received threats.”
- SupportedWietrzyk said she considered quitting the sport and returning to a normal job.Just In: “"I've gone through moments and weeks of 'maybe we should just stop' and just go back to doing a normal job and just remove myself from social media entirely," she said.”
- SupportedAfter the Beijing race, Wietrzyk withdrew, forfeited her points and issued a public apology.Just In: “Wietrzyk subsequently withdrew from the event, forfeited her points and issued a public apology.”
- SupportedHyrox introduced rules allowing race directors to remove athletes when bodily fluids pose a contamination or welfare risk.BBC News: “New rules have now been introduced giving race directors the power to remove athletes if their vomit, urine or faeces pose a risk of contamination or threaten the welfare of themselves or others”