Joanna Wietrzyk has apologized for her actions in the now-viral incident at a Hyrox event in Beijing last Saturday when she stayed on the track and continued to compete despite dealing with a bowel issue.
In a statement shared on social media, Wietrzyk said she would forfeit her points from the event, which she won, and said her actions had an “impact” beyond myself.”
“I recognize that I should have made a different choice,” Wietrzyk said. “I take responsibility for my decision to continue and am deeply sorry for the discomfort and disruption it caused.”
Wietrzyk was a competitor in the women’s elite field and was allowed to move to each station even as she soiled and it was visible as her legs, shoes and socks were stained. Officials at the event did not prevent her from advancing and when photos and video circulated on social media, members of the Hyrox community were vocal about the matter, since other athletes had to use the same equipment and mats after her.
“I know my actions had an impact beyond myself, and I am genuinely sorry to everyone who was affected. I am learning from this experience and will carry those lessons with me, including remembering that there is more to life than racing and knowing when it is right to step away. On reflection, I have decided to retroactively withdraw from the race and forfeit the points I earned.”
After Wietrzyk won and when other competitors were done on the track, event staff were seen removing the carpet in the competition space in what appeared to be an attempt to sanitize the arena for other athletes.
The incident drew additional criticism over the official response from Hyrox on Sunday that seemed to do little to address the concerns within the sport’s community and the organization said that it would not tolerate backlash directed toward any athlete.
“Frustration should never be directed towards the athletes themselves,” the organization said in its statement. “They are the people who put themselves on the line, compete at the highest level and make competition what it is. There is no place in our community for threats of violence or encouragement to harm an athlete.”
By Tuesday, the statement had been removed from all Hyrox social media channels and Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste addressed the incident is a message that seemingly contradicted his own organization.
“I apologize to all that were directly or indirectly affected, as well as to everyone who felt like we did not handle the situation like we should have,” Fürste said. “Hyrox made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race. In the end it is my job to foresee these potential incidents — and I did not. Of course, we started improving event processes, plus making rulebook changes immediately. As of this moment, there are new rules and procedures in place to prevent situations like this from happening again.”
Yesterday, Hyrox offered refunds to athletes impacted during the incident and in an email said that it has updated its rule book to include emergency protocols for future similar encounters. The organization also apologized for how its staff handled the situation in simply letting Wietrzyk continue through the competition.
“Following the incident, our on-site team completed the sanitization procedures and full turf replacement,” the email read. “We understand our sport cannot thrive without the support of all athletes. We deeply cherish this support and will take concrete steps to reciprocate your trust.”
In her own apology, Wietrzyk appeared to understand the impact of her decision to stay on the track even though she posted a photo on social media after her win on Saturday with a message that read “go hard or go home they say … a win is a win,” that appeared to put more priority on finishing the competition rather than safety for others.”
“It means more to me than I can properly express right now,” Wietrzyk said in Thursday’s post. “I will be taking some time to recover, reflect and look after myself and my family away from the noise.”
