Athing Mu from the USA will not compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The defending Olympic champion in the women’s 800m collapsed in the final at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials – Track & Field, and her appeal request has since been denied.
The American will be unable to defend her title from Tokyo 2020, which was held in 2021.
Mu, racing for the first time since September 2023 due to a hamstring injury, made a strong start in the trials on Monday (24 June), surging to the front of the pack as they approached the opening straight. However, 200m into the race, she fell over in a close group, leaving her with an uphill battle to catch up. Despite her best efforts, she ended up in last place.
The women’s 800 final was won by Nia Akins, who ran a personal best of 1:57.36 to beat Allie Wilson and Juliette Whittaker, with the top three all finishing in Team USA’s selection places for their Paris 2024 berths*.
Because National Olympic Committees have sole power over the presence of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes’ participation in the Paris Games is contingent on their NOC picking them to represent their delegation in Paris 2024.
Mu earned two gold medals in her Olympic debut in Tokyo: the women’s 800m and the women’s 4 x 400m relay.
