Joanna Wietrzyk wins Hamburg Hyrox opener ahead of Lauren Weeks

Joanna Wietrzyk won the opening event of the new Hyrox season in Hamburg on Friday, finishing ahead of Americans Lauren Weeks and Vivian Tafuto. The Australian completed the Elite 15 event in 56:10.21, according to The Guardian. Weeks followed in 56:24.37, with Tafuto recording 57:55.34, as Wietrzyk returned to competition following the controversy surrounding her previous victory in Beijing.

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The 24-year-old Melbourne-born athlete holds the world record in the women's solo Hyrox event. Her Hamburg result put her ahead of the field at the start of the 2026-27 season. The competition's international schedule also includes races in London, Bangkok, Las Vegas and Lyon, following the opening event in Germany. Wietrzyk's latest win came after she had stepped away from public attention.

Before racing in Hamburg, Wietrzyk addressed the Beijing incident in a video posted on Instagram. She apologised to spectators and fellow competitors for continuing to race after suffering diarrhoea during the September event. Although she finished first in Beijing, she forfeited the points. The Guardian reported that footage showing her continuing to use shared equipment had prompted widespread criticism online.

In her pre-race statement, Wietrzyk said she had spent time reflecting on what happened and had learned from the experience. She described the period since Beijing as difficult and acknowledged the support she had received personally and through her team. Her apology focused on the decision to continue competing and the effect that choice had on others at the event.

Hyrox also apologised after Beijing and committed to changing its rules. Co-founder Moritz Fürste acknowledged that organisers should have intervened during the race. New provisions now allow officials to remove a competitor when bodily fluids or waste create a welfare or contamination risk for that athlete or others. Organisers also warned that people directing abuse or threats of violence at Wietrzyk would be barred from future events.

Hyrox combines one-kilometre running sections with fitness stations using shared equipment. Exercises include rowing, sled pushes, burpee jumps, medicine-ball throws and lunges while carrying a sandbag. The competition began in Germany in 2017 and has expanded internationally. Wietrzyk's Hamburg victory therefore opens a new season for the athlete following both her public apology and changes to the competition's safety rules.