Aussie HYROX athlete apologises after soiling herself during competition that sparked uproar around the world - as she reveals she's forfeited her win

Published: 08:16 EDT, 17 September 2026 | Updated: 08:38 EDT, 17 September 2026 Australian HYROX athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has issued a public apology after continuing to compete in the endurance race after soiling herself.Wietrzyk, 24, refused to stop competing despite streams of faeces flowing down her legs as she powered to victory during the gruelling event in Beijing on Saturday.The Melbourne athlete's decision to push on sparked ferocious criticism of the athletic competition for allowing Wietrzyk to continue competing.Wietrzyk issued a statement on Thursday revealing she'd forfeited her win at the event and apologising to other competitors. '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 wrote on Instagram.'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.' Australian HYROX athlete Joanna Wietrzyk (above) issued an apology on Thursday after refusing to quit a competition despite soiling herself on Saturday Wietrzyk (above) forfeited her win at the event and apologised to other competitorsWietrzyk said she'd reflected on the incident and was 'genuinely sorry to everyone who was affected'.'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,' she wrote.'On reflection, I have decided to retroactively withdraw from the race and forfeit the points I earned.'The Melbourne athlete then thanked those who supported her during the days of backlash following the event. '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,' Wietrzyk wrote.'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.'The incident on Saturday prompted HYROX co-founder Moritz Fürste to issue a personal statement pledging to implement immediate rule changes.Prior to the weekend's incident, official event rules punished athletes for minor infringements such as littering on the course or clearing their nose on the floor. Massive backlash from the incident (above) prompted HYROX co-founder Moritz Fürste to issue a personal statement pledging to implement immediate rule changesThere were no rules relating to faecal matter.Wietrzyk's statement drew hundreds of comments within minutes of being uploaded.Commenters were deeply divided on whether the apology was sincere or the result of public pressure.'This apology is just not good enough, not least because it has come far too late ... Truly terrible sportsmanship putting your fellow athletes health at serious risk, never mind the spectators and volunteers,' one wrote.'Hindsight is a wonderful thing but during that moment and time nobody knows exactly how they would have reacted,' another said.'True actions of a fighter , not many people understand the mindset of the best in the world,' another said. More to come... Join the discussionShould athletes push through no matter what, or is there a line they shouldn’t cross for competition?What's your view?