Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has apologised after winning her race in China over the weekend despite experiencing an involuntary bowel movement.

Ms Wietrzyk, a 24-year-old from Melbourne, said she should have pulled off the track during the women’s 16-to-24 Hyrox event held in Beijing last Saturday.

“I want to offer my sincere apology to the people of China, my fellow competitors, the spectators and the Hyrox organisers for what happened during the race in Beijing,” Mr Wietrzyk said in a statement on Thursday.

The athlete noted that she was fit and healthy and unprepared for what happened during the competition.

She 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 to not 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.”

While recognising the impact of her action, Ms Wietrzyk added, “I know my actions had an impact beyond myself, and I am genuinely sorry to everyone who was affected. I am learning from this experience and will carry those lessons with me, including remembering that there is more to life than racing and knowing when it is right to step away.”

The athlete said she had decided to withdraw retroactively from the race and forfeit earned points, appreciating people for their support and kindness.

“On reflection, I have decided to retroactively withdraw from the race and forfeit the points I earned. Thank you to those standing by me, both as an athlete and as a person, during this time, and to everyone who has reached out with kindness and support,” Ms Wietrzyk explained. “It means more to me than I can properly express right now. I will be taking some time to recover, reflect and look after myself and my family away from the noise.”

Hyrox is a standardised indoor fitness race that combines eight kilometres of running with eight functional workout stations.