HYROX star Joanna Wietrzyk beats Lauren Weeks in comeback race six weeks after Beijing controversy

Joanna Wietrzyk has returned to HYROX competition with a win in Hamburg, Germany, six weeks after a race in Beijing brought her worldwide attention after a difficult six weeks. The 24-year-old Australian finished first in the opening event of the 2026–27 Elite 15 season on October 30, clocking 56:10.21. Her victory came after she faced heavy criticism for continuing to race after suffering bowel incontinence at the September race in China. Wietrzyk later admitted that decision was wrong, apologised to those affected and said the online abuse had taken a serious emotional toll.Joanna Wietrzyk beats Lauren Weeks to win HYROX Hamburg after six-week breakWietrzyk finished ahead of American athletes Lauren Weeks and Vivian Tafuto. Weeks took second in 56:24.37, while Tafuto came third in 57:55.34, according to the reported Hamburg results. The win marked Wietrzyk’s first appearance since the Beijing event and gave her a strong start to the new season.Her return followed weeks of public criticism. During the Beijing race in September, Wietrzyk suddenly lost control of her bowels but chose to stay on the course. Videos later showed her continuing through the event, with faecal matter visible on her legs and shared equipment. She crossed the finish line first, but later withdrew from the result and gave up the points she had earned.The decision raised concerns about hygiene and the safety of people using shared equipment. HYROX apologised for allowing the race to continue. Organisers said affected lanes were closed, equipment was taken away for cleaning and carpets were replaced overnight before the event resumed. HYROX also said people who sent threats or abuse to Wietrzyk could be banned from future races.Joanna Wietrzyk admits Beijing decision was wrong but speaks about online abuseBefore her return, Wietrzyk spoke to the BBC about what happened and accepted that she should have stopped racing. She said the problem began suddenly and that her focus as a competitive athlete had been on finishing the event. However, she recognised that continuing had put other people at risk.“Yes, I did make the wrong decision but I don't believe I should have received such backlash and such scrutiny online. At the end of the day I'm only human,” she told the BBC.She also said she regretted an Instagram post shared after the Beijing race. It included the lines “Go hard or go home” and “a win is a win”. She said she was in “fight or flight mode” while seeking hospital care and had not considered how the post would look.The athlete described the reaction as traumatic and said she had faced personal abuse. She also admitted that the experience made her consider leaving the sport. After stepping away from racing and social media, she said there was more to life than winning.Wietrzyk had said she was nervous before competing in Hamburg and did not want the Beijing incident to become her identity. Her coach, Chris Bayens, also asked people to separate fair criticism of the decision from personal attacks against her.HYROX has since updated its rules. Race directors can now remove an athlete if blood, vomit, urine or faeces create a health or contamination risk to that competitor or others. The change gives officials a clearer way to respond if a similar situation happens again.HYROX is an indoor fitness race that pairs eight one-kilometre runs with eight workout stations, including sled pushes, rowing and lunges. The sport began in Germany in 2017 and now holds events around the world.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.