PUMA quietly pulls Joanna Wietrzyk collection amid HYROX controversy

Puma has remained largely silent over an incident involving HYROX athlete Joanna Wietrzyk, with the sportswear brand yet to issue a public statement while appearing to quietly remove her collaborative collection from its global online store.

According to media reports, the “Joanna Wietrzyk x PUMA” collection has been removed from Puma’s online store following the incident at HYROX Pro Beijing on 12 September.

Checks by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE found that the dedicated Wietrzyk collection is no longer listed on Puma’s online store, with the page instead redirecting to the broader HYROX category.

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The collection featured performance apparel and footwear created with Wietrzyk as part of her relationship with the sportswear brand.

Puma has not publicly confirmed whether the removal is linked to the Beijing incident, or whether it signals any change to its relationship with Wietrzyk. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out for a statement. 

The 22-year-old Melbourne-based athlete was competing in the women's elite HYROX race in Beijing when she experienced an involuntary bowel movement during the event. She continued through the competition and initially won her division.

Footage of the incident subsequently spread across social media, drawing widespread commentary and criticism.

Wietrzyk has since issued a personal statement apologising to competitors, spectators, organisers and people in China, while taking responsibility for her decision to continue racing.

“I take responsibility for my decision to continue and am deeply sorry for the discomfort and disruption it caused,” she said.

She added that, in hindsight, she should have stepped off the track and said the experience had reinforced the importance of knowing when it is right to step away. Wietrzyk has also decided to retroactively withdraw from the race and forfeit the points she earned.

The athlete said she would now take time to recover and reflect with her family “away from the noise”, while thanking those who had supported her during the backlash.

Wietrzyk's coach Chris Bayens has also criticised the online backlash, warning against reducing the athlete to what happened during one race.

HYROX was the first of the parties involved to publicly address the incident, previously acknowledging that its medical and biocontaminant protocols had become unclear in the situation.

The organiser said concerns around hygiene, safety and fairness were legitimate, but stressed that criticism should not be directed at athletes themselves. It also said it would review its protocols and take responsibility for improving them.

HYROX co-founder and CEO Moritz Fürste subsequently apologised for the organisation's handling of the incident, saying it had made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race.

The organiser has since updated its rules to allow race directors to withdraw competitors when blood, vomit, urine or faeces creates a welfare or contamination risk.

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