"Diarrhea-rox" Controversy: HYROX Winner Apologizes a Week Later, Result Recorded as a Forfeit Loss

[Financial News] An Australian athlete who sparked controversy by continuing to compete while suffering from fecal incontinence at an international HYROX event has apologized and relinquished her win.
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and other outlets on the 18th (local time), Australian HYROX athlete Joanna Wietrzyk said on Instagram, "I would like to sincerely apologize to the people of China, my fellow athletes and the HYROX organizers for what happened during the Beijing event."
Wietrzyk suddenly experienced fecal incontinence during the women’s pro race at HYROX in Beijing on the 12th. HYROX is an indoor fitness race that alternates 1-kilometer runs with functional exercises, and Wietrzyk holds the world record in the women’s individual pro division.
Footage from the venue reportedly showed that her symptoms were severe enough for fecal matter to run down her legs. Even so, she did not stop, continuing the race while using the shared track and exercise equipment. She won with a time of 1 hour, 1 minute and 23 seconds.
Some praised her for showing "incredible determination," but criticism mounted over whether she should have continued the race despite contaminating the track and equipment shared with other athletes. The controversy intensified because HYROX rules strictly prohibit littering and spitting, among other conduct.
Several athletes following behind were reportedly affected, and one was said to have slipped after stepping on debris on the floor. Critics also argued that it was inappropriate for the organizers to let the race continue even after becoming aware of the situation.
Immediately after winning, Wietrzyk posted—and later deleted—a message on Instagram justifying her victory with the words, "A win is a win."
However, about a week after the controversy erupted, Wietrzyk posted an apology. She said, "I was in completely good health when the race started, and there was no reason to expect anything to go wrong with my body," but added, "Looking back, I regret my decision not to step off the track."
She continued, "I take responsibility for the decision to continue the race, and I deeply apologize for the discomfort and confusion it caused."
She also said, "After careful consideration, I have decided to have my result from this event recorded as a forfeit loss and to return the points I earned."
Some have speculated that pressure from sponsors may have contributed to the decision to forfeit. According to the Daily Mail, Puma, a major sponsor, removed the clothing line it had created in collaboration with Wietrzyk from its global online store after the controversy.
HYROX also apologized, acknowledging shortcomings in its event management. HYROX explained, "Although we had hygiene response measures and medical procedures in place, an unexpected situation occurred, and the procedures were unclear, causing confusion in their application and operation."
Moritz Fürste, co-founder of HYROX, acknowledged, "There were problems with how the situation was handled," and added, "We will improve event operating procedures to ensure the same situation does not happen again."

[email protected] Seong Min-seo Reporter