BEIJING: Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk sparked a social media storm after continuing a Hyrox race in Beijing despite suffering bowel incontinence midway through the competition.
Photos and videos circulating online showed Wietrzyk continuing to use shared mats and equipment during Saturday’s race, which she eventually won.
The incident drew criticism from social media users who questioned why organisers allowed her to continue and raised concerns over hygiene and the welfare of other competitors.
Hyrox co-founder Moritz Furste later apologised, saying organisers “made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race”.
He said Hyrox had since introduced new rules and procedures to prevent similar incidents, while Hyrox China acknowledged shortcomings in its regulations that had prevented judges from intervening immediately.
