Hyrox champ finally apologizes for diarrhea-covered race and says she learned there is more to life than racing
Perhaps a win isn’t a win after all.Athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has conceded that she should have called it quits after losing control of her bowels during a Hyrox competition last week — a decision that drew fierce backlash as she powered through the race to claim first place.“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,” Wietrzyk wrote in a statement posted to her Instagram Thursday.The mea culpa marks a sharp turn from Wietrzyk’s initial reaction to the messy mishap, which saw her running, rowing and lunging through the competition as diarrhea streamed down her legs.“Go hard or go home they say … a win is a win,” she declared on social media before deleting the post as outrage mounted over her decision to stay in the indoor fitness competition.The fallout also put Hyrox officials under scrutiny for allowing the event to continue despite what some described as a public safety hazard.“I felt completely fit and healthy at the start of the race, with no reason to expect any illness,” Wietrzyk wrote in her new statement.
“Looking back, I regret the decision to not have stepped off the track.I recognize that I should have made a different choice.”Social media users and fellow athletes complained that other competitors were left navigating a dangerous, slippery track — and potentially a biohazard — after fecal matter ended up smeared across shared equipment.Photos and video from the remainder of the race showed feces covering Wietrzyk’s legs as she powered through another run, a seated row, a farmer’s carry, a sandbag lunge and wall ball exercises.
“I take responsibility for my decision to continue and am deeply sorry for the discomfort and disruption it caused,” she wrote.“I know my actions had an impact beyond myself, and I am genuinely sorry to everyone who was affected.”Chinese officials said staff swiftly ...