Australian Hyrox athlete who soiled herself mid-race in Beijing admits it was the 'wrong decision' to keep racing

Joanna Wietrzyk, 24, the Australian world record holder who won a Hyrox event in Beijing in September after soiling herself and contaminating shared equipment, has ended six weeks of silence by acknowledging that continuing the race was the wrong call. She told reporters she was "deeply sorry" and acknowledged she put other competitors at risk, but said the online abuse that followed was "emotionally and mentally taxing."

Wietrzyk's initial post declaring 'a win is still a win' after Beijing drew a fierce backlash from fans and fellow athletes over the unsanitary conditions.

Hyrox organisers have since changed their rules to prevent a similar incident after they too faced criticism for allowing her to continue racing.

Wietrzyk, who is eyeing a comeback at an event in Hamburg, said: 'I don't want it to become my identity.'