An Australian athlete apologized Thursday for continuing — and winning — her race in China over the weekend after experiencing an involuntary bowel movement during competition. Joanna Wietrzyk, a 24-year-old from Melbourne, said she should have pulled off the track during the women’s 16-to-24 Hyrox event in Beijing on Saturday. The athlete said she hadn’t felt any symptoms before the race that might have warned her about what was to come.
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.” Hyrox is a relatively new indoor sport that combines running and performing high-intensity exercises at various workout stations.
It’s not an Olympic sport, but its backers hope it could make the Games in 2032 or 2036. Wietrzyk’s time of 1:01:23 would have put her atop her division, but she has asked to “retroactively withdraw” from competition. 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.”
Extract — continue reading at the source.
