A HYROX athlete named Joanna Wietrzyk had a faecal incontinence incident during a race on Saturday, 12 September, and still finished top of her category. Instead of celebrating that, the internet turned her worst moment into a viral spectacle, and the trolling got ugly fast.
Her coach, Chris Bayens, founder of The Bayens Method, issued a statement defending the calls made in real time by Joanna, the judges and officials. He said it was an extraordinary set of circumstances that were unforeseen and rapidly evolving, almost impossible to fully comprehend in the moment, and that the hatred that followed was not. HYROX has since updated its rulebook and warned it will permanently ban anyone who threatens athletes or encourages harm toward them. The event also faced criticism from some participants demanding refunds and raising hygiene concerns, and said it completed a major clean-up and replaced sections of carpet.
This one is really about athlete dignity versus viral humiliation. Someone pushed her body to its absolute limit, kept going and won, and the response was mockery instead of respect. So we want to hear from you: should she have been allowed to keep competing, and do you think those lifetime bans will actually change how people behave online?
About the Author
Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.