Hyrox, launched in Germany in 2018 and now held worldwide, is an indoor fitness race combining treadmill running with strength exercises, such as lunges and rowing. Its popularity has exploded in China in recent years.
Photos and videos of Wietrzyk competing with excrement on her legs and shoes sparked criticism on social media, with some users raising concerns about hygiene and other competitors using the contaminated equipment after she had touched them.
“Why didn’t they consider the health of the other competitors and the public?” said one user on Chinese social media network Weibo.
“A foreign athlete suffered from diarrhoea, soiled the course and won anyway,” said another user. “It’s pro-foreigner favouritism.”
The franchise’s co-founder Moritz Furste apologised for the incident on Monday and said new rules and procedures would be set to prevent similar situations from happening again.
“I apologise to all that were directly or indirectly affected, as well as to everyone who felt like we did not handle the situation like we should have,” he said in a statement.
“Hyrox made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race.”
In her post, Wietrzyk, who is a professional athlete, said she was taking some time away to recover, reflect and look after herself and her family.
“Thank you to those standing by me, both as an athlete and as a person, during this time, and to everyone who has reached out with kindness and support. It means more to me than I can properly express right now.”
