BEIJING, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 12: Joanna Wietrzyk of Australia competes in HYROX Beijing 2026 at National Speed Skating Oval on September 12, 2026 in Beijing, China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
Joanna Wietrzyk is finally apologizing after the internet backlash against her intensified in recent days. The Australian athlete went viral after pooping herself while competing in the HYROX Beijing Pro Women’s race last Saturday (Sept. 12). Her initial response, “A win is a win,” didn’t go over well on social media. Even HYROX officials ultimately acknowledged their mishandling of the incident. Then, on Thursday (Sept. 17), Joanna Wietrzyk circled back to apologize, to retroactively withdraw from the competition and to forfeit her win.
If you ask the internet, Wietrzyk took “winning by any means” a lil’ too far last weekend. Mid-race in Beijing, the 22-year-old appeared to experience sudden fecal incontinence, meaning she couldn’t control her bowel movements. Photos (seen below) and videos show poop gathering on the back of her pants, running down her legs and eventually ending up on her arms. Still, she pushed through the running portion and the workout stations of the competition with visible, dripping fecal matter. Also, other competitors were required to use the same stations after her.
Following the HYROX race on Saturday, Joanna Wietrzyk hopped on Instagram with a celebratory post on Stories. She posted a selfie, lying on a cot of some kind while seemingly hooked up to an IV. Joanna appeared to be making a kissy face at the camera and wrote, “Go hard or go home they say…a win is a win.”She added, “In all seriousness, thank you for all the support. I’ll be back soon x.”So, initially, the 22-year-old gave no apology and showed no remorse for pooping mid-competition and for how it might have affected her fellow competitors.
The footage, combined with Joanna Wietrzyk’s initial statement, had the internet going IN for days. From shady nicknames to genuine disgust among both athletes and non-athletes, the reactions weren’t favorable toward the Australian competitor or the HYROX organizers.
On Sunday (Sept. 13), HYROX China reportedly explained how they decontaminated the area after the race Joanna participated in ended. Officials said the affected areas were closed off and disinfected. Also, they plan to replace the venue’s flooring.
“Relevant equipment was removed from the venue, and waste was disposed of in accordance with municipal waste-management standards,” HYROX China said.
Additionally, HYROX World confirmed they have “clear bio-contaminant and medical procedures in place.” It did not apologize for the pooping incident.
“In this instance, an unforeseen situation arose in which protocols designed for elite competition and mass participation became blurred, creating ambiguity in how they were applied and understood.”
By Monday, HYROX co-founder Moritz Frste dropped a direct apology over event officials not reacting immediately during the race. He admitted that it was his job to foresee such incidents, but he didn’t. At the time the statement was released, they had already begun making rulebook changes.
“As of this moment, there are new rules and procedures in place to prevent situations like this from happening again. We learn and try to get better every day.”
On Thursday (Sept. 17), the 22-year-old returned to Instagram with a lengthy personal statement about the pooping incident.
