Australian HYROX winner withdraws result, forfeits points after fecal incontinence incident

Joanna Wieteska, the Australian athlete who won the women's pro division at the HYROX Beijing competition after finishing the race while experiencing fecal incontinence, has apologized and voluntarily withdrawn her result, saying she should have dropped out at the time.

According to the BBC, Wieteska posted an apology on Instagram saying she was "sincerely sorry to the people of China, fellow competitors, spectators and the HYROX organizers for what occurred during the race in Beijing."

She added that she was "fully aware" that her actions had affected others beyond herself and expressed deep regret to everyone who was impacted.

"At the start of the race I felt great and had no expectation that a health issue would arise," Wieteska said. "Looking back, I regret the decision not to leave the course during the race."

She went on to say she was "taking responsibility" for her decision to continue and offered a sincere apology for "the discomfort and confusion" it caused.

"After much reflection, I have decided to retroactively withdraw my result from the race and return the points I earned," Wieteska said, adding that she would carry with her the lesson that "there are values in life more important than a race, and the wisdom to know when to step back."

She said that for now she intended to step away from outside noise, focus on recovery and self-reflection, and spend time with her family.

The incident occurred Saturday at the HYROX Beijing pro women's event. Wieteska experienced fecal incontinence during the fourth station — the burpee broad jump — but did not stop, crossing the finish line in 1 hour, 1 minute and 23 seconds to claim first place. The 24-year-old from Melbourne holds the women's world record in HYROX.

Wieteska completed all eight stations with waste running down her thighs and legs. Other competitors were left to use contaminated equipment and the same track, and at least one athlete fell during the event.

According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese officials said on-site staff immediately cordoned off the affected zone and carried out disinfection work throughout the day. Contaminated equipment was removed, and the carpet was to be replaced after the event concluded.

Shortly after the competition, Wieteska posted "a win is a win" on Instagram before deleting it following a wave of criticism.

HYROX co-founder Moritz Fürste said Sunday that the organization had failed to handle the situation adequately and pledged to revise its rules. "HYROX made the mistake of not immediately intervening during the race," Fürste said, according to NBC News. "Ultimately it is my job to anticipate situations like this, and I failed to do so."

HYROX said it had "clear protocols for biological contamination and medical situations" but acknowledged that an "unexpected situation" had led to "confusion in the application and understanding of the rules."

HYROX is an indoor sport in which participants alternate between 1-kilometer runs and fitness exercises across eight rounds, incorporating movements such as sled pushes, burpee jumps, indoor rowing and lunges with a sandbag. Fürste and Christian Toetzke founded it in 2017, with the inaugural event held in Hamburg, Germany, in 2018, drawing 600 participants.