Puma Removes Joanna Wietrzyk Clothing Line From Website After HYROX Incident

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Sportswear giant Puma has quietly removed its collaborative clothing line with HYROX athlete Joanna Wietrzyk from its global online store, following a viral incident during a recent race in Beijing.

The Melbourne-based 22-year-old athlete competed in the HYROX Pro Beijing event on Saturday, where she experienced an embarrassing bout of bowel incontinence during the gruelling indoor fitness competition.

Despite the incident, Wietrzyk continued competing and went on to win the women’s 16-24 category.

The incident was subsequently captured on video and spread widely across social media, with Wietrzyk becoming the subject of a wave of online jokes and criticism.

Puma removes collaborative range

According to Australian new outlet 7NEWS, Puma has since removed its “Joanna Wietrzyk x PUMA” retail collaboration from its online store.

The range featured performance clothing and footwear designed as part of the athlete’s collaboration with the sportswear brand. 7NEWS also reported that it had contacted Puma for comment.

It remains unclear whether the removal of the collection represents a temporary response to the online controversy or signals a wider change to Wietrzyk’s relationship with Puma.

Interestingly, Wietrzyk continues to identify herself as a Puma Training athlete on her Instagram account, while Puma Training’s social media presence has also continued to feature content involving the athlete.

Questions over HYROX’s response

The situation has also raised questions about how the incident was handled by HYROX officials.

HYROX co-founder and CEO Moritz Furste subsequently apologised over the organisation’s decision to allow Wietrzyk to continue racing after the incident became apparent.

“HYROX made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race,” Furste said, adding that it was his responsibility to anticipate such incidents.

The organisation has since introduced new rules allowing race directors to withdraw competitors if blood, vomit, urine or faeces creates a welfare or contamination risk to the athlete or other competitors.

Coach criticises online backlash

Wietrzyk’s coach, Chris Bayens, meanwhile criticised the online backlash surrounding the athlete, and warns about the potential impact on her mental wellbeing.

“Sport occasionally produces moments that are imperfect and deeply human,” he wrote.

While the incident has undoubtedly put Wietrzyk and HYROX under an unexpected spotlight, athletes experiencing gastrointestinal distress during demanding endurance events is not unheard of.

Sponsorship status remains unclear

For now, the biggest unanswered question remains what Puma’s decision to remove the Wietrzyk collection means for their relationship.

The brand has yet to publicly confirm whether her sponsorship arrangement has been affected, leaving the status of the partnership unclear.

READ MORE: HYROX Beijing Athlete Finished Race Despite Diarrhoea, Sparking Online Debate On Hygiene

READ MORE: Malaysian In HYROX Bangkok Disqualified For Late Start Because He Went To The Toilet First

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