Did A Fermented Drink Cause Aussie Athlete’s Hyrox Beijing Pooping Accident?

By now, you have probably heard (or seen) more than enough about what happened to Joanna Wietrzyk at Hyrox Beijing.

The 22-year-old Australian athlete suffering an unfortunate bout of faecal incontinence midway through, continued racing on despite soiling herself, and eventually won the Hyrox Women's Pro race in Beijing on Sep 12.

But the Internet still has one big question: What did she eat, or drink, before the race that caused her stomach upset?

Now, attention has turned to Joanna's pre-race adventures in Beijing, and one very local drink - Douzhi. 

Douzhi is a traditional Beijing drink made from fermented mung beans, and is known for its strong sour aroma and distinctive fermented taste, which can take some getting used to, especially if you're trying it for the first time.

Before Hyrox Beijing, Joanna had reportedly been taking part in local food and cultural activities, with plans that included trying douzhi. She was spotted trying the drink a few days before the race.

It's certainly a convenient explanation, but there's currently no evidence douzhi had anything to do with Joanna's gastrointestinal issues during the race days later. 

At press time, Joanna hasn't revealed what caused her stomach issues during the race either.

Post-race, Joanna posted a photo of herself receiving an IV drip and wrote in a since-deleted Instagram Story: "Go hard or go home they say... a win is a win."

She later thanked supporters and said she'd "be back soon".

Her decision to continue competing despite pooping mid-race drew criticism from fellow athletes and netizens because faecal matter reportedly ended up on parts of the course and shared equipment.

Hyrox China subsequently said affected areas were closed off and disinfected, while contaminated materials were dealt with and the venue underwent further cleaning.

On September 14, Hyrox has also announced immediate rule changes, and apologised over its handling of the incident.

Under the new rule, a Race Director may withdraw a competitor on medical grounds if the racer's "blood, vomit, urine, or faeces poses a welfare or contamination risk" to themselves or other competitors.

So should something similar happen again, officials now have explicit grounds to pull the athlete from the race.