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Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has sparked debate after she continued competing at HYROX Beijing despite suffering bowel incontinence during the race
Images and videos circulating online appear to show Wietrzyk with faecal matter on her legs as she continued competing in the indoor fitness event on Saturday, 12 September.
She was seen completing various stations, including the sled push, rowing machine, and wall balls, after the incident.
Wietrzyk, 22, from Melbourne, went on to win the women's HYROX Pro event in the 16–24 age category with a time of 1:01:23
She is also the current women's HYROX Pro world record holder, having clocked 54:25 at the Warsaw Major in April.
According to News.com.au, following the race, Wietrzyk appeared to address the incident on Instagram, sharing a selfie of herself receiving an IV drip with the caption, "Go hard or go home… a win is a win."
The post has since been deleted.
In a statement on 12 September, HYROX China confirmed the "hygiene issues" and said it had immediately isolated the affected area and race lanes
The organiser said the carpets would be replaced and the venue would undergo deep cleaning and disinfection before the next day's events.
"The relevant equipment on-site have been removed from the venue, and waste has been strictly disposed of in accordance with municipal garbage removal and management standards," it said.
The incident has since sparked debate over how such situations should be handled at large indoor sporting events
Some people argued that Wietrzyk should have withdrawn from the race once the incident occurred, while others questioned why organisers hadn't intervened or imposed a penalty.
Critics raised concerns about potential contamination of shared equipment and flooring, arguing that the health and safety of other competitors should have been prioritised.
Others stressed that the issue was not about shaming Wietrzyk for having an accident, but about preventing potential hygiene and sanitation risks in an event where athletes share equipment and race surfaces.
HYROX World has since acknowledged the controversy and said its existing protocols became unclear during the incident
"We ask our athletes to push themselves to the highest levels. At times, they will go beyond what even we thought was possible," it said.
HYROX added that it had taken note of feedback from the community and would review the incident.
The organisation also warned that it would take action against anyone threatening or encouraging violence against Wietrzyk.
"Any person identified as engaging in this behaviour — whether through comments, direct messages, or social media — will be permanently banned from all HYROX events," it said.
However, the statement has drawn further criticism online, with some arguing that HYROX should take stricter action rather than describing the situation as an ambiguity in its protocols.
