Australian athlete apologizes after winning race despite involuntary bowel movement

An Australian athlete apologized Thursday for continuing — and winning — her race in China over the weekend after experiencing an involuntary bowel movement during competition.

Joanna Wietrzyk, a 24-year-old from Melbourne, said she should have pulled off the track during the women’s 16-to-24 Hyrox event in Beijing on Saturday.

The athlete said she hadn’t felt any symptoms before the race that might have warned her about what was to come.

“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.

“I felt completely fit and healthy at the start of the race, with no reason to expect any illness. Looking back, I regret the decision to not have stepped off the track. I recognize that I should have made a different choice. I take responsibility for my decision to continue and am deeply sorry for the discomfort and disruption it caused.”

Hyrox is a relatively new indoor sport that combines running and performing high-intensity exercises at various workout stations. It’s not an Olympic sport, but its backers hope it could make the Games in 2032 or 2036.

“I know my actions had an impact beyond myself, and I am genuinely sorry to everyone who was affected,” Wietrzyk said. “I am learning from this experience and will carry those lessons with me, including remembering that there is more to life than racing and knowing when it is right to step away.”

Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste apologized for the incident on Sunday and said organizers should have intervened immediately.

Wietrzyk’s time of 1:01:23 would have put her atop her division, but she has asked to “retroactively withdraw” from competition.

“On reflection, I have decided to retroactively withdraw from the race and forfeit the points I earned,” Wietrzyk said. “Thank you to those standing by me, both as an athlete and as a person, during this time, and to everyone who has reached out with kindness and support. It means more to me than I can properly express right now. I will be taking some time to recover, reflect and look after myself and my family away from the noise.”