Source : ABC NEWS
Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has made a triumphant return to HYROX competition in Germany after taking a six-week break following a controversial incident at a race in Beijing last month.
The 24-year-old from Melbourne faced widespread criticism after continuing to compete despite suffering severe diarrhoea during the race.
Videos showing Wietrzyk running with faecal matter streaming down her legs were widely shared on social media.
Although she crossed the finish line first, Wietrzyk subsequently withdrew from the event, forfeited her points and issued a public apology.
The backlash took a heavy emotional toll, with Wietrzyk saying she considered quitting the sport altogether.
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But after stepping away from competition and social media, she returned in emphatic fashion, cruising to victory over Lauren Weeks at HYROX Hamburg in Germany.
The event marked the opening round of the 2026-27 HYROX Elite 15 Series and Wietrzyk’s first competition since the Beijing controversy.
The women’s solo professional HYROX world record holder said she relied heavily on family support during what she described as a mentally and emotionally taxing period.
Joanna Wietrzyk shared an apology online on Thursday, withdrawing and handing back points from the race she won. (Instagram: @joannawietrzyk)
In an earlier interview with the BBC, Wietrzyk acknowledged she had made “the wrong decision” by continuing to race in Beijing but said she was shocked by the scale of the online abuse.
“To personally experience that was very eye-opening to me, seeing the effect of social media for someone who’s 24 and out there racing,” she said.
“Yes, I did make the wrong decision but I don’t believe I should have received such backlash and such scrutiny online.“
Joanna Wietrzyk (middle in black top) holds the HYROX Women’s Solo Pro world record. (Instagram: joannawietrzyk)
“I didn’t really think about those around me, which looking back in hindsight, was the wrong decision and I’m truly sorry to everyone I did affect in that situation.”
Wietrzyk also revealed how close she came to walking away from the sport.
“I’ve gone through moments and weeks of ‘maybe we should just stop’ and just go back to doing a normal job and just remove myself from social media entirely,”
she said.
“I went through a very, very low period mentally and emotionally. It was great that I had my family with me and I could kind of isolate myself from the world but I can’t do that forever.”
Wietrzyk’s next major event is the HYROX Elite Series in London, scheduled for December 3-6.
HYROX is a global fitness race combining 8 kilometres of running with eight functional work-out stations, testing strength and endurance.
