The Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has apologized after she suffered bowel incontinence during a Hyrox race in China last week. "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 on Instagram on Thursday. "I felt completely fit and healthy at the start of the race, with no reason to expect any illness.
Looking back, I regret the decision to not have stepped off the track. I recognize that I should have made a different choice. I take responsibility for my decision to continue and am deeply sorry for the discomfort and disruption it caused." Wietrzyk said that she had learnt from the experience, "including remembering that there is more to life than racing and knowing when it is right to step away." Wietrzyk added that she had decided to "retroactively withdraw" from the race and forfeit the points she had earned.
"Thank you to those standing by me, both as an athlete and as a person, during this time, and to everyone who has reached out with kindness and support. It means more to me than I can properly express right now. I will be taking some time to recover, reflect and look after myself and my family away from the noise," she concluded.
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