World News for Students of English

18-09-2026 07:00

Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk won her age category at a Hyrox indoor fitness competition in Beijing, but her victory created significant controversy.

While competing, she suffered severe bowel incontinence and left feces on shared equipment such as rowers and carpeted areas.

Wietrzyk finished the race in just over an hour and later shared a photo from a hospital bed on an IV drip with the caption A win is a win. Opinions on the incident are deeply divided. Some fans praised her determination, mental strength, and refusal to give up under extreme physical distress. However, critics, commentators, and fellow participants highlighted the serious biological hazard her condition presented to other competitors. Many questioned why organizers didn’t intervene and stop her to provide medical help, especially since existing rules already penalized spitting and littering. Organizers had to close affected lanes, replace carpet, and deep clean the venue overnight, while debate continues over athlete health and safety protocols.

Difficult words: incontinence (losing control of your body so you cannot hold in urine or poop), IV drip (a small bag of liquid medicine or water connected to a needle in a person’s arm), biological hazard (something from a living body, like germs, blood, or waste, that can cause sickness to other people).

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