From New York Post · · 1m
Hyrox Champ Apologizes for Diarrhea Incident
Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk apologizes for continuing race after diarrhea, retroactively withdraws win.
In brief
Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk apologizes for continuing race after diarrhea, retroactively withdraws win. Joanna Wietrzyk retroactively withdrew from Hyrox Beijing 2026 after apologizing for continuing the race despite diarrhea, erasing her win from leaderboards. Originally reported by New York Post.
Hyrox Champ Apologizes
Joanna Wietrzyk apologizes for continuing race after diarrhea, retroactively withdrawing her win from Hyrox Beijing 2026.
“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”
Diarrhea Incident Details
Wietrzyk suffered fecal incontinence mid-race, finishing in 1 hour 1 minute 23 seconds but later withdrew her win.
“Go hard or go home they say … a win is a win”
Retroactive Withdrawal
Wietrzyk retroactively withdrew from the race, forfeiting points and erasing her win from official leaderboards.
“On reflection, I have decided to retroactively withdraw from the race and forfeit the points I earned”
Safety Concerns
Critics accused Hyrox officials of allowing unsafe conditions after Wietrzyk's diarrhea contaminated shared equipment.
“I take responsibility for my decision to continue and am deeply sorry for the discomfort and disruption it caused”
Coach's Response
Wietrzyk's coach Chris Bayens defended her, calling online abuse 'ugly' and criticizing hindsight judgments.
“Judging someone’s intent, character or morality through the clarity of hindsight is neither fair nor honest”
Hyrox Response
Hyrox officials admitted mistakes, changed rules, and apologized for handling the incident poorly.
“HYROX made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race”
Consequence
Wietrzyk's win is erased from leaderboards, and she will take time to recover from the incident.
“I am learning from this experience and will carry those lessons with me”
The headline
Joanna Wietrzyk retroactively withdrew from Hyrox Beijing 2026 after apologizing for continuing the race despite diarrhea, erasing her win from leaderboards.
