Sport4 min(s) read
A HYROX athlete has lashed out at organizers after claiming that he was disqualified for a toilet-related mishap months before the latest viral incident.
His claims come after an athlete says she was 'penalized' for an incident on the same track as Joanna Wietrzyk, who infamously soiled herself during the women's Pro race on Saturday (September 12) in Beijing.
Stomach-churning images of the Australian athlete have been revealed following her win, with feces seen running down her legs as she continued competing at the HYROX event in Beijing.
Wietrzyk completed the event, winning the women's HYROX Pro event in the elite 16-24 age category in 1:01:23, beating out World Champion Alyssa McElheny.
However, the win raised questions over what happened to the affected race area after the horrific incident.
Several competitors from the same event commented on the hygiene aspect, as one told the South China Morning Post: "Think about how disgusting it is, especially when we use the exact same track."
As one competitor claimed she had a two-minute penalty after "splashing" water on herself during the Beijing race, another has come forward with a toilet-related disqualification he had in a past HYROX competition.
Littering, spitting, or blowing one's nose onto the floor can also result in a two-minute penalty, raising questions about whether Wietrzyk should have been allowed to keep racing.
Now, a competitor has revealed that he was disqualified for a late start while he was using the toilet.
Malaysian athlete Zarif Zakaria has questioned why this was the case when Wietrzyk was allowed to finish despite soiling herself mid-race.
He has accused the fitness competition organizers of being inconsistent with their application of the rules, after he was disqualified for what he claims was going to the toilet before the race.
Zakaria competed in the Men's Open category at HYROX Bangkok on August 13, finishing his race in 1:27:48 before being told of the bad news.
He said on social media: "I got disqualified for going to the toilet before the race. How come people can race while having diarrhea and not get disqualified?
"Maybe it's time to retire from HYROX."
But some participants revealed that this may not be the only reason for his disqualification, as one revealed they did the same thing and faced no punishment.
She pointed out: "Maybe it was something else you did?"
"Late start. Going to toilet before the race the point is why late start got DQ & why can athletes continue racing even when they have [diarrhea] during the race?" he replied.
HYROX issued a statement, saying that the affected equipment was removed, race lanes were sanitized, and sections of carpet were replaced.
Further deep cleaning was also reportedly scheduled before competition resumed the following day.
Footage and images circulating online had already prompted questions about the cleanup.
When complaints eventually reached HYROX co-founder Moritz Fuerste, he released a statement to the public.
He began: "I need to address all of you directly concerning the recent events in China,
"I apologize 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. HYROX made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race. In the end it is my job to foresee the potential incidents - and I did not.
"Of course, we started improving event processes, plus making rulebook changes immediately. As of this moment, there are new rules and procedures in place to prevent situations like this from happening again. We learn and try to get better everyday."
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