An Australian woman criticised for continuing a Hyrox event after soiling herself has apologised and will retroactively withdraw. Joanna Wietrzyk released a statement on Instagram, apologising for the incident during the indoor fitness competition in Beijing on Saturday.

Footage circulated on social media, with organisers Hyrox issuing a statement apologising for how they handled the situation.

"I know my actions had an impact beyond myself, and I am genuinely sorry to everyone who was affected," Wietrzyk said. Wietrzyk won the race but said she would forfeit and added: "I want to offer my sincere apology to the people of China, my fellow competitors, the spectators and the Hyrox organisers."

Hyrox said it had "clear bio contaminant and medical procedures in place". It said "an unforeseen situation arose" during which protocols became blurred. In each Hyrox race, participants alternate between running a kilometre and doing fitness exercises. The competition has exploded in popularity since it was founded in 2017 in Hamburg, Germany, and debuted in mainland China in late 2024.