Hyrox athlete apologises for continuing race after soiling herself

An Australian athlete who faced criticism for continuing to compete in a Hyrox event after soiling herself has apologised and said she will retroactively withdraw from the race.

Joanna Wietrzyk offered her "sincere apology" for the incident during the indoor fitness competition in Beijing on Saturday, saying she should have "made a different choice" and exited the event.

Footage of Wietrzyk competing after soiling herself raised concerns about hygiene, leading Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste to apologise for the handling of the situation.

In a statement shared on Thursday, Wietrzyk said: "I know my actions had an impact beyond myself, and I am genuinely sorry to everyone who was affected."

Hyrox apologises for allowing race to continue after athlete soils herself

After the backlash, Wietrzyk, who won the race in Beijing, said she would forfeit her win.

Wietrzyk said in a social media post: "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."

She wrote in a social media post , external that she was "completely fit and healthy" at the start of the race, and had "no reason" to expect any illness.