Hyrox organiser: Anyone who threatens athlete who defecated herself will be permanently banned from events - Mothership

Protocols designed for elite competition and mass participation became blurred during the Beijing race, the organiser said.

Images via @cryptoxiaoxiang / X, @gz321123 / X.

The organisers of Hyrox have responded to the incident at its Beijing competition, which took place from Sep. 10 to 13, in which an Australian athlete suffered fecal incontinence while running the circuit.

It said that it will take into account "legitimate" community feedback but will permanently ban anyone threatening violence against the athlete.

Videos of the incident circulated on Chinese social media on Sep. 12.

The female athlete, Joanna Wietrzyk, was seen completing exercises like burpee broad jumps with stained garments and legs.

Wietrzyk went on to win the women's event of the competition.

While some praised Wietrzyk's perseverance, others were critical of her and the organisers, citing hygiene concerns.

In a Sep. 14 Instagram post, Hyrox began by saying, "As our sport continues to evolve we are encountering new and increasingly complex situations that challenge us and where additional clarity is needed."

It stated that it has "clear biocontaminant and medical procedures in place".

"In this instance, an unforeseen situation in which protocols designed for elite competition and mass participation became blurred, creating an ambiguity in how they were applied and understood," Hyrox said.

It did not elaborate on what these protocols were in its statement.

Hyrox described the concerns raised by its community as "legitimate" and said that it will "examine what happened and take responsibility for continuing to improve".

However, the organiser also drew a line, saying that frustration should "never be directed towards the athletes themselves".

"There is no place in our community for threats of violence or encouragement to harm an athlete", the organiser said.

It then said that it is currently reviewing and identifying those responsible for such comments, and anyone identified will be permanently banned from Hyrox events.

Online users responded to the statement on the post, suggesting that the organiser should apologise to all other competitors as well.

One user said that the athlete should have been pulled from the competition and that there was "no blurred lines".

Some questioned the organiser's distinction between elite competitors and other participants.

Comments referring to the incident at the competition in Beijing have also flooded Wietrzyk's recent Instagram posts.

Hyrox China said in a Sep. 12 statement that the affected areas and lanes of the race course were closed and thoroughly disinfected.

The organisers also removed equipment affected by the incident, and disposed of waste in accordance with local waste management regulations.

Carpets would be replaced after the day's events, they added, followed by a deep cleaning and disinfection of the entire venue.