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Australian athlete apologizes after winning race despite involuntary bowel movement
NBC News • • world
Key Points:
- Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk apologized for continuing and winning a race in Beijing after experiencing an involuntary bowel movement during the competition, acknowledging she should have withdrawn.
- Wietrzyk, 24, expressed regret for not stepping off the track and took full responsibility for the incident, apologizing to the people of China, fellow competitors, spectators, and event organizers.
- Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste also apologized and admitted that organizers should have intervened immediately during the event.
- Wietrzyk has requested to retroactively withdraw from the race and forfeit her points, stating she will take time to recover and reflect away from public attention.
- Hyrox is a new indoor sport combining running and high-intensity exercises, with aspirations to become an Olympic sport by 2032 or 2036.
