Athlete Who Soiled Herself Laments Decision to Continue

She might be the most infamous competitor ever at an endurance sports event. And in an interview with the BBC, Australia's Joanna Wietrzyk makes clear she regrets her decision to finish a race in Beijing after suffering severe diarrhea mid-competition. "I did put other people at risk," the 24-year-old says. "I didn't really think about those around me." She says no officials with the Hyrox race suggested she stop competing, but she takes full responsibility for the decision to keep going. It "was the wrong decision and I'm truly sorry for everyone that I did affect."

Wietrzyk, who had a bacterial infection from food poisoning, initially defended the result online before deleting the post, forfeiting the win, and retroactively withdrawing. Images of her competing with fecal matter smeared on her legs went viral, and Hyrox apologized for not intervening. As she prepares to return to racing in Germany, Wietrzyk says the intense online criticism was "traumatic," but she says it's time to come out of isolation. "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."