Athlete Wins Hyrox Race Despite Diarrhoea, Sparking Controversy
Polish athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has won a Hyrox fitness competition in Beijing, despite suffering from diarrhoea during the event.
Hyrox is a type of race that combines running with strength exercises. Athletes must complete several stations before finishing.
During the competition, Wietrzyk experienced a sudden attack of diarrhoea. Instead of stopping, she continued to compete.
As a result, she made a mess on the floor during the event. Despite this, she finished the race first and won.
The situation has caused a controversy online, with many people discussing what happened during the race.
The organisation behind Hyrox has issued a public apology for the incident that happened during the Beijing race.
They admitted that the situation was an inconvenience for other competitors and spectators.
In response, Hyrox has announced changes to its rules. These new regulations are meant to prevent similar situations from happening again in future races.
The exact details of the new rules have not been fully explained, but they are linked directly to this incident.
This case has sparked wider discussion about health emergencies during endurance sports events, and how organisers should handle them.
Vocabulary7 words
- competition
- an event where people try to win
- stations
- different points in a race where people do specific tasks
- controversy
- public disagreement or argument about something
- apology
- words said to show you are sorry
- inconvenience
- a small problem that causes trouble
- regulations
- official rules for how something should be done
- endurance
- the ability to keep doing something hard for a long time
Quiz
Answer key
1. A race combining running and strength exercises 2. She kept competing and finished the race 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Polish athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has won a Hyrox fitness _____ in Beijing, despite suffering from diarrhoea during the event.
Hyrox is a type of race that combines running with strength exercises. Athletes must complete several _____ before finishing.
During the competition, Wietrzyk experienced a sudden _____ of diarrhoea. Instead of stopping, she continued to compete.
As a result, she made a mess on the floor during the event. Despite this, she finished the race first and _____.
The situation has caused a _____ online, with many people discussing what happened during the race.
The organisation behind Hyrox has issued a public _____ for the incident that happened during the Beijing race.
They admitted that the situation was an _____ for other competitors and spectators.
In response, Hyrox has announced changes to its rules. These new _____ are meant to prevent similar situations from happening again in future races.
Discussion questions
- Do you think athletes should stop competing if they become suddenly ill during a race? Why or why not?
- How do you think other competitors felt about this situation?
- What kind of rules do you think sports organisations should have for medical emergencies during events?
- Have you ever seen or heard of a similar situation in sports? What happened?