'Deeply sorry' Woman who soiled herself during Hyrox event apologises as she vows to 'learn from experience'
Joanna Wietrzyk, Hyrox women's world record holder, soiled herself during the event in Beijing on Saturday but was controversially allowed to continue and win the race.
This article contains images that some viewers may find unpleasant.
A woman who soiled herself during a Hyrox event has apologised for the shocking incident and vowed to "learn from the experience".
Listen to this article
Joanna Wietrzyk, Hyrox women's world record holder, soiled herself during the event in Beijing on Saturday but was controversially allowed to continue and win the race.
Many people have criticised the move by the organisers to allow her to continue, saying it posed a health risk to other competitors and viewers in the building.
On Monday, Hyrox showed their support for Ms Wietrzyk and warned people against sending her abuse.
However, Moritz Fuerste, the German co-founder of the popular fitness-racing hybrid, apologised to everyone "directly or indirectly" affected by last weekend's incident.
In her apology on Thursday, Ms Wietrzyk said she regrets her decision to not step off the track.
"I recognize that I should have made a different choice. I take responsibility for my decision to continue and am deeply sorry for the discomfort and disruption it caused," she said.
'Deeply sorry'
Her full statement reads: "I want to offer my sincere apology to the people of China, my fellow competitors, the spectators and the HYROX organizers for what happened during the race in Beijing.
"I felt completely fit and healthy at the start of the race, with no reason to expect any illness. Looking back, I regret the decision to not have stepped off the track. I recognize that I should have made a different choice. I take responsibility for my decision to continue and am deeply sorry for the discomfort and disruption it caused.
"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.
"Thank you to those standing by me, both as an athlete and as a person, during this time, and to everyone who has reached out with kindness and support. It means more to me than I can properly express right now. I will be taking some time to recover, reflect and look after myself and my family away from the noise.
"Love Jo x"
Following the backlash, Hyrox China said the area was decontaminated after the race finished. "After the incident, the organising committee immediately closed off and isolated the affected area and track, and completed comprehensive disinfection," they said.
"Relevant equipment was removed from the venue, and waste was disposed of in accordance with municipal waste-management standards.
"In an Instagram post shared on Monday, Hyrox showed their support for the athlete and warned people against sending her abuse.
An official statement said: “As our sport continues to evolve, we are encountering new and increasingly complex situations that challenge us and where additional clarity is needed. This happened this weekend in China.
“We ask our athletes to push themselves to the highest levels. At times, they will go beyond what even we thought was possible. That courage, resilience and refusal to give in are precisely what makes elite athletes so extraordinary."Our role is to give them the right framework and the right boundaries within which they can compete, perform and express themselves at their very best.”
The statement added: "Frustration should never be directed towards the athletes themselves. They are the people who put themselves on the line.
"There is no place in our community for threats of violence or encouragement to harm an athlete… Any person identified as engaging in this behaviour – whether through comments, direct messages or social media – will be permanently banned from all Hyrox events."