Particle.news
Download on the App Store
34 ARTICLES
·
7h ago

HYROX Changes Rules After Beijing Race Where Champion Soiled Herself and Kept Winning

The organiser revised its rulebook to allow race directors to withdraw competitors for bodily-fluid contamination after apologising for not removing the athlete promptly.

Woman in black reaching toward net and woman laying down on pink bed
The global fitness competition has garnered intense controversy following an event in China over the weekend.
Joanna Wietrzyk competes in HYROX Beijing 2026 at National Speed Skating Oval on September 12, 2026 in Beijing, China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
Image

Overview

  • Videos showed Australian Joanna Wietrzyk suffering fecal incontinence during the HYROX Beijing women’s Pro race and finishing first on Sept. 12, 2026 while using shared equipment.
  • Event staff closed affected lanes, removed contaminated equipment, carried out a deep disinfection and replaced venue carpet before the next day’s racing.
  • HYROX updated its online rulebook to permit Race Directors to withdraw a racer and record a Did Not Finish if blood, vomit, urine, or feces pose a welfare or contamination risk.
  • Co-founder Moritz Furste publicly apologised for the organisers’ delayed response and HYROX pledged to ban anyone who sends violent or threatening messages to the athlete.
  • The episode has intensified debate about hygiene and safety at indoor, shared-equipment races and could prompt clearer event procedures, refund policies, and stricter on-course medical stops.