Athing Mu, who has an automatic bye into the World Championships as the defending 800-meter gold medalist, might not run at the meet in August in Budapest, Hungary.
That’s according to a Stravas 2024 Yearly Report Is Here Advertisement - Continue Reading Below, which says she might not compete again this summer, instead focusing on her training to prepare for the 2024 Olympics.
The Times spoke to Mu’s coach, Bobby Kersee, who said, “It’s in our control if we decide we’re just going to go ahead and train through this year and focus on next year, then that’s what we’re going to do,” he said. “The training is going well but our thought process, openly, is that we’re going to just train here in L.A. for the next two weeks and the next time she gets on the plane it’ll either be on vacation or to Budapest.”
The first round of the women’s 800 meters is on August 23.
Mu, 21, won the Olympic gold medal in the 800 in 2021 and later that summer, broke the American record, running 1:55.04. She won last year’s World Championships 800 in a close race with Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain.
If she decides to race in Budapest, Mu is expected to face stiff competition from Hodgkinson, also 21, who has run 1:55.77 this year, and Mary Moraa of Kenya, who has run 1:56.85—and in an earlier race this summer, beat Hodgkinson.
Mu has raced sparingly so far this year. She ran the 800 meters once in June in New York and won the race easily in 1:58.73. At the U.S. championships in July in Eugene, Oregon, Mu ran the preliminary and final of the 1500 meters. She finished second in 4:03.44, behind Nikki Hiltz. Mu could have elected to run the 1500 meters in Budapest. But she said she would not contest that event, instead giving her spot to the fourth-place finisher, Sinclaire Johnson. (Cory McGee, who finished third, is also on the U.S. 1500-meter team.)
Mu cut almost 13 seconds off her previous best in the 1500 over the course of the meet. Afterward, she alluded to the pressure she feels when racing.
"Coming into these meets, whether it’s a small competition, big competition, there’s just so much pressure just overall. You know, you’re overthinking your race days before you’re even out there. So I mean, just the overall pressure that you feel when it comes to competing is a lot and so I think, you know, the past few years have been a lot for me.”
Whether Mu decides to race the 800 meters in Budapest will not affect the other Americans in the race. Because she won last year’s world championships and earned the bye, the U.S. can send four athletes in the event. Nia Akins won the 800 at the U.S. championships in 1:59.50, Raevyn Rogers was second in 1:59.83, and Kaela Edwards was third in 2:00.52.
Health & Injuries is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World The first round of the womens 800 meters is on August 23, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
