Sports · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Hyrox Apologizes After Joanna Wietrzyk Soils Herself, Continues and Wins in Beijing
Joanna Wietrzyk finished Hyrox Beijing Pro Women division despite mid-race intestinal incontinence. HYROX apologized and announced rule changes after allowing completion despite the incontinence.
Whether the main issue is officiating failure or procedural follow-up.
7 of 9 outlets skipped it: wietrzyk posted a hospital-bed selfie after the event.
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Same story, two versions
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Fox News
“HYROX is taking the matter seriously and looking at themselves to see how they can approve their procedures”Read the original ↗
Taipei Times emphasises Hyrox's officiating mistake, while Fox News frames it as a serious but solvable procedure review.
Beijing Race, No Stop
Hyrox apologized after an Australian athlete, Joanna Wietrzyk, was allowed to continue and win a Hyrox competition in Beijing despite soiling herself midway through the event on Saturday.
“"Hyrox made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race."”
The incident drew an outcry after posts showed Wietrzyk with soiled legs and shoes as she continued to use the mats and equipment at the competition held in the Chinese capital.
Hyrox co-founder Moritz Furste said in a statement on Monday that "Hyrox made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race," and he accepted responsibility for failing to foresee the incident.
Hyrox China admitted in an earlier statement that there were "shortcomings" in the regulations which had prevented judges from intervening immediately during the competition.
The controversy also prompted debate on Chinese social media, including a Weibo user asking, "Why didn’t they consider the health of the other competitors and the public?"
Apology, Rules, and Debate
In a separate report, NBC News said Fürste issued a statement apologizing "to all that were directly or indirectly affected, as well as to everyone who felt like we did not handle the situation like we should have."
NBC News also quoted Fürste saying, "HYROX made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race," and that "In the end it is my job to foresee these potential incidents — and I did not."
The Hyrox statement described new rules and procedures, saying "As of this moment, there are new rules and procedures in place to prevent situations like this from happening again," while another Hyrox account statement said additional clarity was needed as the sport evolves.
Online reactions included accusations of favoritism, with one user saying, "It’s pro-foreigner favoritism."
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said on Monday that it blamed "regulatory flaws that not only harm the participants’ health, but also undermine the very foundation of fairness in any competition."
What Changes Next
Hyrox said it would implement changes to its rules and procedures after the Beijing incident, with Fürste saying "We will immediately implement changes to HYROX’s rules to prevent situations like this from repeating."
“"We will immediately implement changes to HYROX’s rules to prevent situations like this from repeating."”
Mi Diario | La voz de Panamá reported that the new provisions allow removing a competitor when blood, vomit, urine, or feces pose a contamination risk or threaten the wellbeing of other people.
The same report said Hyrox acknowledged confusion during the event about how its medical and biocontamination protocols should be applied, even while stating it already had those protocols in place.
In the aftermath, the controversy also fed into broader debate about officiating standards, with one participant quoted by WOAI saying, "If HYROX has rules regarding hygiene, sportsmanship, safety and conduct, those rules need to be clearly defined and consistently enforced."
WOAI also reported that Hyrox organizers said staff swiftly cordoned off affected areas, disinfected the site through the end of the day, removed contaminated equipment, and replaced carpet once the event was over.