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By Jennifer Radcliffe
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Australian HYROX athlete Joanna Wietrzyk issued her first video statement on Wednesday since apologizing for the controversial incident that sparked global attention at HYROX Beijing, saying she is "truly, truly so sorry" and revealing she is returning to competition this week.
In an Instagram post, Wietrzyk reflected on the controversy from the Beijing race, where she continued competing after suffering bowel incontinence during the women's pro event. She ultimately forfeited points she earned at the event.
"So I've had some time to reflect over the past six to eight weeks of everything that happened in Beijing," Wietrzyk said. "Firstly, I just want to say that I'm truly, truly so sorry to everyone that I affected, whether they were spectators or participants out on that race floor, for my decision to choose to continue to race."
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The Australian athlete said the aftermath had been difficult.
"It's been a very hard situation to navigate for me and very confronting as well," she said. "So all the support, whether it was personally or through my team, has been honestly so incredible. And it goes a lot longer in a far longer way than I can truly express right now."
The comments mark Wietrzyk's first video message since she issued a written apology and announced she would forfeit her Beijing result following backlash over the incident.
Return to Competition
Wietrzyk disclosed in the video that she is set to compete Friday in the 2026 Hamburg / HYROX ELITE 15.
"I'm here in Hamburg now, so I'm racing a couple days' time in the Elite 15," she said. "So I'm back out there on the race floor, and I'm super excited to go back doing what I love, and hopefully see you all out there."
The Elite 15 series features some of HYROX's top professional competitors and is considered one of the sport's premier events.
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Who Is Joanna Wietrzyk?
Wietrzyk is an Australian HYROX athlete who became the first Australian woman to qualify for the Elite 15 Series, the fitness racing competition's top professional circuit.
She has represented several fitness and sports brands during her career, including Puma, Amazfit, RoxFit and Dr Hydrate.
What Happened in Beijing?
The controversy began during HYROX Beijing on September 12 when Wietrzyk experienced bowel incontinence during the race but continued competing and ultimately crossed the finish line first in 1:01:23.
Images and videos from the event spread rapidly across social media, prompting criticism from some athletes and spectators. Critics argued the incident created potential hygiene and safety concerns because competitors share equipment throughout the race.
Attention intensified after Wietrzyk shared, and later deleted, a social media post from what appeared to be a hospital bed that included the phrase: "Go hard or go home ... a win is a win."
She later issued a public apology, saying she regretted not stepping off the course and announcing she would retroactively withdraw from the event and forfeit the points she had earned.
"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," she said at the time.
HYROX Changed Its Rules
Following the race, HYROX praised athletes who push themselves to extreme physical limits, describing their "courage, resilience and refusal to give in" as qualities that make elite competitors extraordinary.
"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," the statement continued.
Co-founder Moritz Fürste acknowledged organizers had made a mistake by not intervening sooner and apologized to those affected.
HYROX subsequently updated its rulebook to clarify that race directors can withdraw competitors when blood, vomit, urine or feces create a welfare or contamination risk for athletes or other participants.
Joe Ho, who participated at the Beijing event, argued that the discussion should not focus solely on the athlete and organizers.
"Protecting athletes is important, but showing the wider community that Hyrox takes responsibility when its own procedures fail is just as important," he said. "That would do far more to rebuild trust than simply asking everyone to move forward together."
Backlash and Support
While some members of the HYROX community criticized the handling of the incident, others have called for restraint.
Earlier this month, Wietrzyk's coach, Chris Bayens, condemned what he described as personal attacks directed at the athlete, arguing that decisions were made during an unprecedented and rapidly evolving situation.
"Discussion is legitimate. The hatred and personal attacks that have followed are not," Bayens said.
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