HYROX athlete who sparked outrage by continuing after soiling herself mid-race wins on return - after apologising and revealing 'traumatic' abuse

The HYROX athlete who sparked outrage for choosing to continue competing despite soiling herself mid-race has returned with victory in the first event of the new season in Hamburg.Joanna Wietrzyk, a 24-year-old Australian endurance competitor, unwittingly became the centre of a global story last month after opting to continue with her race despite suffering bowel incontinence in Beijing.Wietrzyk won the event but forfeited the points and faced stinging public backlash after footage of her competing with faecal matter running down her legs while using equipment shared with other competitors went viral on social media.Although organisers apologised at the time, Wietrzyk initially doubled down on continuing before finally apologising earlier this week.She said she has experienced a 'traumatic' backlash following the incident and suffered personal abuse but accepted she should not have continued racing.She told the BBC: 'It was a very sudden experience. It wasn't until about halfway through the race where everything did transpire.Joanna Wietrzyk, who apologised for continuing to race after soiling herself at a HYROX event, has returned with victory in the first event of the new season in Hamburg Wietrzyk has said she regretted a now-deleted Instagram post published after the race in which she said 'go hard or go home' (source: joannawietrzyk/Instagram)'In that moment, right then and there, as a very competitive person… and an elite athlete that I am, my only focus is on racing. Obviously I did put other people at risk.'She added: 'Yes, I did make the wrong decision but I don't believe I should have received such backlash and such scrutiny online. At the end of the day I'm only human.'Wietrzyk also said she regretted an initial social media post published after the race which included the words 'Go hard or go home' and 'a win is a win'. She said she had been in 'fight or flight mode' as she sought hospital treatment.'I didn't really account for what the public would have seen that situation as.'Challenged over whether her apology could be seen as an effort at damage limitation, Wietrzyk said that she hadn't expected so much exposure from the incident.'I needed those days to reflect on it and process it.'Speaking about the mentality of elite athletes, she said: 'They're so hyper-vigilant on winning and doing the best that they can, putting their training to good use and showcasing their fitness to the world.'After reflecting over the past few weeks, she said: 'There is more to life… than just racing and just winning.'Ahead of Friday's event, Wietrzyk said she was 'nervous' about her return and hoped that the high-profile incident would not define her.'I don't want it to become my identity,' she said.The incident placed the competition under scrutiny, with fellow competitors raising concerns about hygiene, contamination and the speed of the response.HYROX said affected lanes were isolated, contaminated equipment was removed and cleaning and carpet replacement took place overnight before competition resumed.HYROX China has also reportedly refunded some competitors their entry fees.After Wietrzyk's identity was shared online, HYROX said anyone sending abuse or threats to the athlete would be banned from future events.Her coach, Chris Bayens, defended Wietrzyk against attacks while acknowledging that decisions made during the event could be reviewed.'Decisions were made under competition conditions by an athlete, judges and officials, all responding to a situation none of them could reasonably have prepared for,' he wrote on Instagram. Wietrzyk said before yesterday's race that she was ‘super excited’ to get back on the race floor and do what she loves (source: joannawietrzyk/Instagram)'It is very easy to construct the perfect response once the moment has passed. Hindsight gives people time, information and distance that simply did not exist for those actually living it.'Bayens urged people to distinguish scrutiny of the incident from attacks on the athlete.'Sport occasionally produces moments that are imperfect and deeply human,' he said. 'Discussion is legitimate. The hatred and personal attacks that have followed are not.'HYROX combines eight one-kilometre runs with eight workout stations, including sled pushes, rowing, sandbag lunges and medicine ball throws.The competition launched in Germany in 2017 and is now held in locations across the world, with the 2026-27 season set to include races in London, Bangkok, Las Vegas and Lyon after the opener in Hamburg.