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Former youth and sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin has criticised HYROX for defending Australian champion Joanna Wietrzyk after she won a recent competition despite defecating mid-race
Wietrzyk, 22, won the recent Hyrox Beijing event in 1:01:23, finishing first in the 16–24 age category.
Contestants in other age categories, Alyssa McElheny and Aki Yoshida, finished in 01:02:08 and 01:04:52, respectively.
Wietrzyk's win was marred by controversy after videos circulating online showed her experiencing faecal incontinence during the sandbag lunges.
While some people raised concerns about hygiene, others praised her determination to finish the race. Meanwhile, some criticised the race organiser for allowing her to continue competing and sit on the rowing machine with her contaminated shoes and tights.
In a statement on Instagram today, 14 September, HYROX acknowledged that its decision could lead to frustration within the community.
"Those concerns are legitimate and, as organisers, we must be prepared to hear them, examine what happened and take responsibility for continuing to improve. And we will, " the organiser said.
HYROX said it has biocontaminant and medical procedures in place, but "an unforeseen situation arose in which protocols designed for elite competition and mass participation became blurred".
However, the organiser did not apologise for its decision or address Wietrzyk's win directly. Instead, it warned that anyone who makes threats of violence against the athlete would face a permanent ban.
In the comments section, Khairy criticised HYROX's response as "trash"
"You should apologise to all athletes who competed in Beijing and give a firm commitment that any athlete that does this again will be immediately removed from the field of play," said the Keluar Sekejap host, who is also the former health minister.
Many others also criticised HYROX, with one netizen writing, "Jesus, just say that if you shit your pants mid race you are disqualified."
"So I can't spit on the course but I can shit myself? Good to know," commented an Instagram user, while another added, "This should be an apology, not a threat. Bye."
One comment with 14,000 likes said HYROX should have disqualified Wietrzyk the moment she defecated and that she should have had the common courtesy to stop competing.
The commenter added that basic hygiene, sanitation, and respect for other competitors should take precedence over other factors.
