Australian HYROX athlete Joanna Wietrzyk issued her first video statement on Wednesday since apologizing for the controversial incident that sparked global attention at HYROX Beijing, saying she is "truly, truly so sorry" and revealing she is returning to competition this week. In an Instagram post, Wietrzyk reflected on the controversy from the Beijing race, where she continued competing after suffering bowel incontinence during the women's pro event. She ultimately forfeited points she earned at the event.
"So I've had some time to reflect over the past six to eight weeks of everything that happened in Beijing," Wietrzyk said. "Firstly, I just want to say that I'm truly, truly so sorry to everyone that I affected, whether they were spectators or participants out on that race floor, for my decision to choose to continue to race." The Australian athlete said the aftermath had been difficult. "It's been a very hard situation to navigate for me and very confronting as well," she said.
"So all the support, whether it was personally or through my team, has been honestly so incredible. And it goes a lot longer in a far longer way than I can truly express right now." The comments mark Wietrzyk's first video message since she issued a written apology and announced she would forfeit her Beijing result following backlash over the incident. Wietrzyk disclosed in the video that she is set to compete Friday in the 2026 Hamburg / HYROX ELITE 15.
"I'm here in Hamburg now, so I'm racing a couple days' time in the Elite 15," she said. "So I'm back out there on the race floor, and I'm super excited to go back doing what I love, and hopefully see you all out there." The Elite 15 series features some of HYROX's top professional competitors and is considered one of the sport's premier events. Wietrzyk is an Australian HYROX athlete who became the first Australian woman to qualify for the Elite 15 Series, the fitness racing competition's top professional circuit.
She has represented several fitness and sports brands during her career, including Puma, Amazfit, RoxFit and Dr Hydrate. The controversy began during HYROX Beijing on September 12 when Wietrzyk experienced bowel incontinence during the race but continued competing and ultimately crossed the finish line first in 1:01:23. Images and videos from the event spread rapidly across social media, prompting criticism from some athletes and spectators.
Critics argued the incident created potential hygiene and safety concerns because competitors share equipment throughout the race. Attention intensified after Wietrzyk shared, and later deleted, a social media post from what appeared to be a hospital bed that included the phrase: "Go hard or go home ... a win is a win." She later issued a public apology, saying she regretted not stepping off the course and announcing she would retroactively withdraw from the event and forfeit the points she had earned. "I felt completely fit and healthy at the start of the race, with no reason to expect any illness.
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