Olympic medalist slams British athlete for joining controversial Enhanced Games
|
Last updated:
1793350497
Australian Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk, who soiled herself during an event in Beijing, has described the “backlash and scrutiny online” as a “mentally and emotionally taxing period”.
Wietrzyk, who won the event in China but later surrendered the win, continued racing in September with faeces running down her legs.
Hyrox co-founder Moritz Furste issued an apology after the event, calling the incident a mistake and saying it will not happen again, with new rules introduced.
The Australian took “full responsibility” for the situation, but described the backlash that followed as “traumatic”.
“It was a very sudden experience. It wasn’t until about halfway through the race where everything did transpire,” she told the BBC.
“In that moment, right then and there, as a very competitive person and an elite athlete that I am, my only focus is on racing.
“Obviously I did put other people at risk.”
Wietrzyk admitted her initial social media post after the race, which read “go hard or go home” and “a win is a win”, was an error, saying, “I didn’t really account for what the public would have seen that situation as.”
After Wietryzk’s identity was shared online, Hyrox said anyone who sent threats or abused the Australian would be banned from future competitions.
The athlete described social media as a “toxic place”, describing the period after the incident as “mentally and emotionally taxing”.
Wietryzk said: “[It] was very eye-opening for me to see the effect of social media nowadays, especially from someone who’s 24, just out there racing.
“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.”
Weitryzk previously apologised for the incident on social media, saying sorry to her fellow competitors and organisers.
The Australian said: “I felt completely fit and healthy at the start of the race, with no reason to expect any illness.
“Looking back, I regret the decision not to have stepped off the track.
“I recognise that I should have made a different choice. I take responsibility for my decision to continue and am deeply sorry for the discomfort and disruption it caused.”
Wietrzyk has taken time off social media but admitted she cannot “isolate herself from the world”.
She said: “I still have so much more I can achieve in this sport so I think, for me, my mental resilience is the key here where I can inspire others through what I’ve been through.”
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
Follow related topics:
You are about to be charged
£0.00
`;
placeholder.insertAdjacentHTML(‘beforeend’, taboola);
}