The reigning Olympic champion will not be competing in Paris this summer in her signature event. In a shocking women’s 800-meter final at the U.S. Olympic Trials, Athing Mu tripped and fell in the first 200 meters. The U.S. record-holder was unable to recover and finished last in the race on Monday in Eugene, Oregon.
The crash took place just before the second turn, where the field bunched together while jockeying for position in the early stretches of the race. Mu was running in the middle of the pack when she went down.
Once Mu was out of contention for her third U.S. title, Nia Akins, Michaela Rose, Juliette Whittaker, and Allie Wilson battled up front for the remainder of the two laps.
On the homestretch, Akins pulled away for the title, winning her second consecutive national championship in 1:57.36, a personal best. With a tremendous kick, Wilson finished second in 1:58.32. Whittaker placed third in 1:58.45. Both athletes hit the Olympic standard in the final, and all three will be heading to Paris this summer.
At first, Mu attempted to chase the group, but the gap was too big to make up. A visibly emotional Mu jogged the remaining 200 meters of the race, finishing in 2:19.69.
While she won’t compete in Paris in the 800, there’s a possibility she could be selected for the U.S. 4x400-meter relay team. Mu anchored Team USA’s gold medal-winning relay at the Tokyo Games.
The 2022 world champion has already endured a difficult year. The 800-meter final was Mu’s third race since September. The 22-year-old opened her season during the first round of the Trials. In May, Mu’s coach told Runner’s World she was nursing a sore hamstring that kept her from competing earlier this season.
Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
