# Australian athlete apologises after winning while soiling herself

> Joanna Wietrzyk forfeits her Beijing Hyrox victory and says she should have stepped off the track.
- Title: Australian athlete apologises after winning while soiling…
- Summary: Joanna Wietrzyk forfeits her Beijing Hyrox victory and says she should have stepped off the track. Athletes should withdraw from competition when…
- Keywords: joanna wietrzyk, australia, hyrox, beijing, fitness competition, athlete apology, race incident, rule changes, news, world, Australian, athlete
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/sport/2026/sep/17/im-genuinely-sorry-australian-hyrox-athlete-who-soiled-herself-apologises-to-china-and-rivals
- Published: 2026-09-17T18:30:23+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: joanna wietrzyk, australia, hyrox, beijing, fitness competition, athlete apology, race incident, rule changes, news, world
## Australian athlete wins despite soiling herself
Joanna Wietrzyk, a world record-holder, competed in and won Saturday's Hyrox event in Beijing while experiencing faecal matter running down her legs during the race.
## Wietrzyk apologises in statement
She posted on Instagram offering a sincere apology to the people of China, fellow competitors, spectators and Hyrox organisers for what happened during the race.

> 'I'm genuinely sorry to everyone who was affected.'
## She regrets not stepping off track
Wietrzyk admitted she should have withdrawn from the race and said there is more to life than racing. She felt healthy at the start with no reason to expect illness.

> 'I regret the decision to not have stepped off the track.'
## Wietrzyk forfeits her victory points
She decided to retroactively withdraw from the race and forfeit the points she earned from winning the Beijing event.
## Hyrox apologises and changes rules
The fitness competition admitted it made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race. Co-founder Moritz Fürste said new rules and procedures are now in place to prevent similar incidents.

> 'Hyrox made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race.'
## What is Hyrox
Hyrox is a fitness competition launched in Germany in 2017 where participants alternate between running a kilometre and doing high-intensity exercises at shared stations including rowing machines, sled pushes and burpee jumps.
## Key takeaway

Athletes should withdraw from competition when experiencing bodily distress, even if they feel capable of continuing.