One of fitness sport’s most talked-about controversies just took a dramatic new turn.
Joanna Wietrzyk, the athlete who sparked a global debate after winning a HYROX race in Beijing under deeply uncomfortable circumstances, has broken her silence — and she’s giving the victory back.
In a carefully worded three-slide Instagram statement posted Thursday, Wietrzyk issued a sweeping apology and announced she is retroactively withdrawing from the race, forfeiting the points she earned that day.
But here’s where it gets complicated — because despite her personal decision to walk away from the win, the official result still hasn’t changed.
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What Happened in Beijing
On September 12, during a HYROX pro women’s race in Beijing, Wietrzyk experienced a bowel incident mid-competition.
She kept going anyway. She crossed the finish line first, beating reigning world champion Alyssa McElheny by 45 seconds.
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The incident ignited fierce debate online — about sportsmanship, athlete welfare, hygiene protocols, and the pressure to compete at all costs. No race official intervened or removed her from the course at the time.
Wietrzyk’s only public response before Thursday was an Instagram Story — since deleted — in which she reportedly wrote “Go hard or go home… a win is a win.” That line did not age well.
Wietrzyk Finally Speaks — And She’s Sorry
Thursday’s statement was a striking shift in tone.
Addressing “the people of China, my fellow competitors, the spectators and the HYROX organizers,” Wietrzyk acknowledged she made the wrong call by staying on the course.
I felt completely fit and healthy at the start of the race, with no reason to expect any illness.
She didn’t stop there. Wietrzyk went further, accepting full personal responsibility for what unfolded.
I take responsibility for my decision to continue and am deeply sorry for the discomfort and disruption it caused.
On the final slide, she made her decision official: “On reflection, I have decided to retroactively withdraw from the race and forfeit the points I earned.”
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She also acknowledged the personal toll the fallout has taken, saying she would be stepping back “to recover, reflect and look after myself and my family away from the noise.”
The Points Are Gone — But the Result Isn’t
Here’s the twist nobody saw coming.
Despite Wietrzyk’s withdrawal, the independent results database Hyresult still listed her first in Beijing as of Thursday, with a time of 1:01:23. No DNF. No withdrawal notation. Nothing.
McElheny’s 1:02:08 finish still sits in second place on the record, with the top spot unchanged.
HYROX has not confirmed whether it will amend the official result. The clause the organization added to section 12.3 of its rulebook in the days following the race — which allows a race director to issue a DNF where bodily fluids pose a contamination or welfare risk — only applies when an official makes that call in the moment. In Beijing, no one did.
What the Points Forfeit Actually Means
In HYROX’s Elite 15 qualification system, an athlete’s best five single-race results over a rolling 365-day window determine their ranking total.
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A standard pro race win carries 105 points. By forfeiting Beijing, Wietrzyk loses those points entirely — freeing up one of her five scoring slots for a future result to fill instead.
Her current personal best is a 54:25 finish in Warsaw back in April, which remains her fastest singles time on record.
HYROX Admits It Dropped the Ball
The organization hasn’t escaped scrutiny either. HYROX co-founder Moritz Fürste publicly admitted the sport’s governing body failed to act when it should have.
HYROX made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race. In the end it is my job to foresee these potential incidents, and I did not.
HYROX China echoed that admission, stating it “failed to promptly remove the involved athlete from the track.” HYROX World added that “protocols designed for elite competition and mass participation became blurred” during the Beijing event.
No official has been named publicly, and none has resigned. The organization did, however, say it would permanently ban anyone it could identify behind the wave of online abuse directed at athletes in the aftermath.
Puma Goes Quiet — And Her Collection Disappears
Off the race floor, something else quietly happened this week that raised eyebrows.
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Wietrzyk’s signature Puma collection vanished from the brand’s online store, with her dedicated page now returning a 404 error. Newsweek first flagged the disappearance on Thursday.
Puma has said nothing. No statement about the removal, no comment on her contract status. It’s worth noting the brand is HYROX’s official sportswear supplier and holds the title partnership for the HYROX World Championships through 2030 — so whether the timing is connected to Beijing or simply a routine site update remains unclear.
The Bigger Question HYROX Still Has to Answer
Wietrzyk’s coach, Chris Bayens, told Newsweek this week that while public discussion of the incident is fair, “the hatred and personal attacks that have followed are not.”
It’s a sentiment worth sitting with. The athlete has now done what critics demanded — acknowledged fault, apologized broadly, and surrendered her points.
Yet HYROX still hasn’t formally amended its own record. McElheny, the world champion who finished second that day, remains second on paper.
Whether the sport’s governing body follows its athlete’s lead — and actually changes the result — is now the only question left unanswered.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
