{"id":892481,"date":"2026-09-15T04:44:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T04:44:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/892481\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T04:44:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T04:44:12","slug":"hyrox-changes-rules-and-apologises-for-allowing-australian-athlete-who-soiled-herself-to-continue-australia-sport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/892481\/","title":{"rendered":"Hyrox changes rules and apologises for allowing Australian athlete who soiled herself to continue | Australia sport"},"content":{"rendered":"

Organisers of the global indoor fitness competition Hyrox have apologised and pledged immediate rule changes after an Australian athlete was allowed to finish and win an event in Beijing despite soiling herself mid-race.<\/p>\n

Footage of world record holder Joanna Wietrzyk competing on Saturday showed her continuing through demanding exercises and using communal equipment, with faecal matter visibly running down her legs. The incident went viral on social media and triggered debate about Hyrox\u2019s health and safety standards, and athlete responsibility.<\/p>\n

Hyrox, an increasingly popular fitness competition launched in Germany in 2017, is now held in locations across the world. It debuted in mainland China in late 2024.<\/p>\n

In each race, participants alternate between running a kilometre and doing fitness exercises at shared high-intensity stations \u2013 including a rowing machine, sled pushes, burpee jumps, medicine ball throws and lunges while carrying a sandbag.<\/p>\n

Prior to the weekend\u2019s incident, official event rules already penalised athletes for minor infractions such as littering on the course, or spitting or clearing their nose on the floor. It contained no immediate protocol for faecal matter.<\/p>\n

Hyrox co-founder Moritz F\u00fcrste apologised in a statement<\/a> on Instagram to everyone affected \u201cdirectly or indirectly\u201d by the incident. \u201cHyrox made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race. In the end it is my job to foresee these potential incidents \u2013 and I did not,\u201d F\u00fcrste said.<\/p>\n

He added that Hyrox has made \u201crulebook changes immediately\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs of this moment, there are new rules and procedures in place to prevent situations like this from happening again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wietrzyk is a Hyrox world record holder. Photograph: VCG\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

In statements released by Hyrox China and Hyrox World, organisers confirmed that affected lanes were isolated for deep cleaning overnight, contaminated equipment was removed and venue carpet was replaced overnight before competition resumed the following day.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the incident, the organising committee immediately closed off and isolated the affected area and track, and completed comprehensive disinfection,\u201d Hyrox China organisers said.<\/p>\n

Hyrox World said that it has clear bio-contaminant and medical procedures in place: \u201cProtocols designed for elite competition and mass participation became blurred, creating ambiguity in how they were applied and understood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wietrzyk, the world record holder in the Hyrox women\u2019s solo event, was invited to compete at the Beijing event. She posted and then deleted a selfie to her Instagram story from what appeared to be a hospital bed, with the text: \u201cGo hard or go home \u2026 a win is a win. In all seriousness, thank you for all the support. I\u2019ll be back soon x.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is not uncommon for athletes to soil themselves while competing in high endurance sports, particularly marathons. British athlete Paula Radcliffe won the 2005 London marathon after suffering from \u201crunner\u2019s diarrhoea\u201d and having to stop at the 22-mile mark to relieve herself, in full view of cameras.<\/p>\n

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Social media users and other athletes at the event questioned the response and why Wietrzyk was allowed to finish the race, while impacting the health and safety of fellow competitors.<\/p>\n

Joe Ho, a male competitor in Beijing, said that fellow athletes \u2014 who generally pay a fee to take part in Hyrox races \u2014 had been failed.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor people who were exposed to that situation, there could be genuine physical and psychological consequences,\u201d Ho wrote in an Instagram post.<\/p>\n

\u201cI paid Hyrox to provide a professionally organised and safe event. So while I understand the athlete perspective, ultimately my contract and expectation is with Hyrox.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the organisation accepts that something went wrong, why not offer affected participants refunds, credits, or some meaningful form of compensation?\u201d<\/p>\n

Following online vitriol directed at Wietrzyk after her identity was shared, organisers warned that anyone sending abuse or threats of violence towards the athlete would be banned from all future events.<\/p>\n

Guardian Australia reached out to Wietrzyk and Hyrox for comment.<\/p>\n