Hyrox female world record holder Joanna Wietrzyk has made headlines after winning a competition in Beijing covered in her own faeces.
The Australian star athlete went viral for completing the indoor fitness competition despite soiling herself mid-way through, competing with poo dripping down her legs.
She can be seen running, doing lunges, burpees and wall balls while covered in excrement, alongside fellow competitors.
With the race using shared equipment and surfaces, thousands online have branded the incident ‘disgusting’ and ‘selfish’, slating the athlete for continuing, and Hyrox for not disqualifying her.
‘How is this not considered a biohazard? Shame on the people organising this,’ wrote one.
‘Gross,’ added another. ‘Do these people have no shame or consideration for other athletes?’
Joanna reportedly posted a now-deleted Instagram story which said: ‘Go hard or go home, they say… A win is a win.’
HYROX China said the area was decontaminated after the race had finished. ‘After the incident, the organising committee immediately closed off and isolated the affected area and track, and completed comprehensive disinfection.
‘Relevant equipment was removed from the venue, and waste was disposed of in accordance with municipal waste-management standards.’
While Hyrox features running, shared stations for competitors include sandbag lunges, burpees, sled pushes, wall balls and rowing.
Shock that Joanna was allowed to continue competing after losing control of her bowels was compounded by typical Hyrox rules, which state athletes can be penalised for ‘spitting, nostril clearing, littering, and water abuse’. Organisers are also allowed to remove or disqualify competitors whose actions endanger other participants or breach event rules.
However, the official Hyrox account released a statement in support of Joanna and her ability to finish the race, despite leaking faeces on the floor.
‘We ask our athletes to push themselves to the highest levels,’ the statement read. ‘At times, they will go beyond what even we thought was possible. That courage, resilience and refusal to give in are precisely what makes elite athletes so extraordinary.’
Joanna Wietrzyk has officially responded to the HYROX diarrhea incident, saying win is win.#JoannaWietrzyk #news #diarrhea#hyrox #fyp
‘Hyrox has clear biocontaminant and medical procedures in place,’ it added. ‘In this instance, an unforeseen situation arose in which protocols designed for elite competition and mass participation became blurred, creating ambiguity in how they were applied and understood.
‘We recognise that this can understandably lead to frustration, questions and strong views within our community.’
The fitness organisation said those who had condemned the athlete crossed ‘an important line’.
‘Frustration should never be directed towards the athletes themselves,’ it said. ‘They are the people who put themselves on the line.
‘There is no place in our community for threats of violence or encouragement to harm an athlete… Any person identified as engaging in this behaviour – whether through comments, direct messages or social media – will be permanently banned from all Hyrox events.’
Runners’ bowels
The need to empty your bowels during exercise isn’t rare, in fact, according to pharmacist Thorrun Govind, it’s quite common to suddenly need the loo in these situations.
‘Exercise gets your whole body moving, including your gut,’ Thorrun tells Metro. ‘This increased movement can stimulate the bowel and encourage it to empty.
There is also increased blood flow and changes in the hormones and nervous system that can affect how quickly things move through the gut.’
Seriously I 💩 before the run and this still happens, every time I’m not near a porta potty😭 this is starting to happen too often… sorry @Cayde De Waal #poopmypants #running #runner #poop #funny
You’re more likely to lose control of your bowels in this way if you’ve had caffeine or a large meal before rigorous exercise.
‘If you’re already feeling unwell, having tummy troubles, or if your gut is irritated or you have diarrhoea, cramping or an infection, then additional movement from exercise may make you feel like you need the loo more urgently,’ Thorrun adds.
Of course, for some it can run deeper than exercise, with around one in eight people in the UK suffering with faecal incontinence, so it’s worth investigating if it’s something you suffer with frequently.
It’s not an isolated incident
But, in cases like Joanna’s, it seems to form part of a wider trend, which is seeing athletes urinate and defecate at public competitions in the name of winning.
South African Runner George Kusche, 27, won the Comrades Marathon back in June, finishing with diarrhoea coating his legs and trainers after getting an upset stomach during the race.
Not to mention, Paula Radcliffe’s infamous 2005 London Marathon defecation on the side of the road, as spectators and cameras watched on.
Women’s weight-lifting competitions seem to be a particular hotspot for this activity, with countless weeing on communal floors, leaving some viewers to question why female competitors don’t wear pads.
Why Urine Leakage is Common in Heavy Lifting
‘So, we’re normalising peeing on the open floor while lifting?’ questioned one. ‘Yeah no, I’d wear a panty liner or something,’ added another.
But apparently, it’s all to do with the pressure the pelvic floor is put under while lifting extreme weights. Research suggests leakage is far more common among female athletes than males, due to differences in anatomy, plus additonal stressors like childbirth.
The bigger question, perhaps, is why there isn’t more research and funding into urinary stress incontinence so that women can compete to their full potential, without fear of leaks or judgement.
When you pee during deadlifts…. It’s a genre 💅🏼#girlswholift
Before anybody comes for meee, this is stress incontinence and commonly seen in women especially under heavy pressure/high strain which can cause loss of bladder control so this was involuntary!! 😓 📸: @darya.jennie // @100darbells Code VICTORIA: @breathdivinity | @breathedivinityred @beefyclothing | @fitbitesprotein @nextlevelstrengthco – – #powerlifting #girlswholift #gymgirl w @download_repost_pro
Some women, like TikToker Samantha, have even filmed themselves weeing in a public gym, while lifting a weight, saying: ‘When you pee during deadlifts… it’s a genre.’
So, do you think toilet habits have taken too much of a tumble when it comes to exercising? Should we all embrace biology in the gym? Or is there a line between amateur and professional athletes? Let us know in the comments.
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