Olympic 800m champion Mu will not travel to Paris because to an accident during Olympic trials.
Athing Mu, the current Olympic 800-meter champion for women, will not be defending her title in Paris next month following an unexpected setback at the US trials in Eugene, Oregon.
One of the breakout stars of the pandemic-affected 2021 Tokyo Games, the 22-year-old, tumbled to the ground in the Hayward Field final at the 200-meter mark. Mu, who also competed for the USA in the 4×400-meter relay team that won in Tokyo, was overcome with emotions when she crossed the finish line since she was unable to recover from her fall.
The agonizing race brought to light the brutality of the US Olympic track and field trials, which are among the world’s most competitive events outside of a major championship. The Olympic squad is made up of the top three finishers in each event; other races or performances during the season are not taken into consideration.
The 2022 world champion Mu had been recovering from an injury and had not competed in any races before to the trials. Nonetheless, she was confident during the initial stages of the 800 meters and appeared ready to secure her spot on the Olympic squad. Rather, Nia Akins, who won in 1 minute 57.36 seconds, will lead the US 800m trio in Paris, followed by Allie Wilson and Juliette Whittaker.
In other competitions on Monday, Michael Norman finished second in 44.41 seconds, but Quincy Hall won the men’s 400 meters in 44.17 seconds. Quincy Wilson, a 16-year-old student, finished sixth and thus not eligible for an automatic trip to Paris; Chris Bailey placed third in 44.42 seconds. Wilson might still qualify for the Olympics by competing in the 4×400-meter relay. Grant Holloway, the world champion in the 110-meter hurdles, indicated that he is prepared to win an Olympic gold medal after setting a record-setting time of 12.92 seconds in his opening heat.
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