Joanna Wietrzyk reflects on race incident ahead of Hyrox return

Sport · First reported 29 Oct, 23:03 · Updated 00:33

Image: Wikimedia Commons · NASA Johnson Space Center · Public domain

Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk said she accepts responsibility for continuing to race after becoming ill at a Beijing Hyrox event, while describing the online backlash as traumatic. Hyrox has introduced rules allowing race directors to remove athletes when bodily fluids pose a contamination or welfare risk.

Wietrzyk said she regrets continuing to race and later apologised, forfeiting her Beijing win and withdrawing from the event.
She described the public reaction as traumatic and said she and her family received threats.
Hyrox introduced rules empowering race directors to remove athletes when bodily fluids could create contamination or welfare risks.

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Key facts

Athlete: Joanna Wietrzyk, 24, is Australian.
Event: Hyrox race in Beijing in September.
Incident: Wietrzyk said she suffered diarrhoea roughly halfway through the event.
Response: She apologised and said she would forfeit the win and withdraw from the race.
Rule change: Race directors can remove athletes when bodily fluids pose contamination or welfare risks.