The Melbourne-based athlete – who already held the world record in the Hyrox women’s solo event after competing in April in Warsaw, Poland – won the Beijing endurance competition over the weekend.
In a since-deleted Instagram story posted after the event, Wietrzyk posted a selfie showing her hooked on to an IV drip, saying: “Go hard or go home … a win is a win. In all seriousness, thank you for all the support. I’ll be back soon x”.
Wietrzyk posted a selfie after the event saying ‘a win is a win’. Photo / Instagram
The event organisers have since confirmed equipment was removed and lanes closed for sanitation after the athlete’s bowel incident.
Carpet was replaced and the venue was deep-cleaned overnight before competitors used it the next day.
“Hyrox has clear biocontaminant and medical procedures in place.
“In this instance, an unforeseen situation arose in which protocols designed for elite competition and mass participation became blurred, creating ambiguity in how they were applied and understood,” the organisers said in a statement.
“We recognise that this can understandably lead to frustration, questions and strong views within our 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.”
They slammed threats against Wietrzyk.
People reacting to images posted online slammed organisers, saying they should have acted faster to protect competitors as many came into contact with contaminated equipment.
Fitness community members suggested rules should change as they believe Wietrzyk should have been removed and the competition halted to allow cleaning and sanitising.
Some online defended the athlete’s determination to push through, while others pointed out she could have taken a break and still returned to win.
Several social media users blamed organisers, saying they failed to maintain sanitary standards and ensure participants’ safety who had to use contaminated equipment.
“Hyrox should have immediately stopped her when it happened. There are no blurred lines here.
“There was faeces visibly running down her legs. At that point, the competition should have been over for her,” one person commented.
“And honestly, she should have had the common courtesy to stop herself and get off the course. I don’t care who you are or how important the competition is. In an event where hundreds of athletes are using the same floors, equipment, and machines, continuing in that condition is completely unacceptable.
“This isn’t about embarrassing or shaming someone for having an accident. Accidents happen. It’s about basic hygiene, sanitation, and respect for every other competitor on that course.”
“Struggling to see the blurred line in this situation. Hyrox, and Joanna both decided that her performance was more important than the health and safety of thousands of other competitors and staff,” an athlete commented.
“Allowing athletes to use equipment covered in human faeces should not be a blurred line. This is not a complex situation.”
Another social media user shared some blunt advice with the organisers: “Jesus just say that if you s**t your pants mid race you are disqualified”.
Some described Wietrzyk as “brave” and “inspirational” for pushing through an uncomfortable situation.
“I respect that she finished the competition. However, other athletes have to use the same equipment after her,” someone wrote on Reddit.
“What I find even more ridiculous is the organisers’ penalty system. Apparently, things like spitting, throwing up, and water bottles can get you penalised. But somehow, s***ing all over yourself and continuing to use shared equipment is just allowed?”
The person added that it made it a “public health issue”.
Hyrox is a popular indoor fitness competition that challenges participants to run 1km, followed by a functional workout station, repeated eight times.
The functional workouts include sled pushes, sled pulls and sandbag lunges, among others. Athletes run 8km overall, with a workout every kilometre.