Joanna Wietrzyk admits putting others at risk before Hamburg Hyrox return

The Beijing race

Joanna Wietrzyk, a 24-year-old Australian athlete, won the Hyrox race in Beijing in mid-September, even though she suffered a bout of diarrhoea roughly halfway through. Images of the aftermath were then shared widely online and the incident became a viral story. She has since said she had been dealing with a bacterial infection from food poisoning, and that she had started the race feeling in good shape. Hyrox alternates running a kilometre with fitness stations such as a sled push, burpee broad jumps, indoor rowing and lunges while carrying a sandbag. The competition was founded in 2017 in Hamburg and is now held around the world.

Her admission and the backlash

Speaking exclusively to the BBC ahead of her return, Wietrzyk said her determination to win in Beijing had clouded her judgement.

“It was my decision to continue racing so I take full responsibility for that.”

She said she had not really thought about the people around her, and that in hindsight carrying on had been the wrong decision. She apologised to everyone she affected and described the experience and the backlash that followed as traumatic. She said she had considered walking away from the sport, in which she holds a world record. In the week after Beijing she apologised, saying she would forfeit the win and retroactively withdraw from the race, after first posting a defiant message on Instagram that has since been deleted. In a new video she described the weeks since Beijing as difficult and confronting, and said she had learned when to tell herself to stop.

Hyrox's response and new rules

Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste has apologised and taken responsibility for not anticipating the situation, saying it had been a mistake not to react immediately during the race. Organisers said the affected lanes were isolated, the contaminated equipment removed, and the carpets cleaned and replaced overnight before competition resumed. They did not specify which rules and procedures were changed straight after the incident. Under the new rules, race directors can remove an athlete if vomit, urine or faeces pose a risk of contamination or threaten the welfare of the athlete or others. The rules apply to races held mainly indoors on shared equipment.

Return in Hamburg

Wietrzyk is due to start an Elite 15 race in Hamburg on Friday, 30 October, the city where Hyrox was founded. She said she was nervous about her return and hoped the incident would not define her.

“I don't want it to become my identity.”

She said she had learned a great deal from the situation and hoped to move past it, rediscovering her enjoyment of racing.