Athing Mu out of Olympics after falling at US trials

Olympic 800m champion will not defend her title in Paris while Anna Hall and Cole Hocker secure selection

Athing Mu’s hopes for gold in Paris came crashing down on the first lap of the 800m final at the US Olympic Team Trials in Eugene on Monday (June 24).

The 2022 world champion raced in the middle of the pack before falling at the 200m mark. She recovered as quickly as possible but couldn’t make up for lost time, finishing in last place (2:19.69).

Mu, who was also a member of the USA’s victorious 4x400m relay team in Tokyo, had not raced all season before the trials as she worked her way back from injury but was still poised to book her place on the Olympic team.

“I’ve coached it, I’ve preached it, I’ve watched it,” Mu’s coach, Bobby Kersee said. “And here’s another indication that regardless of how good we are, we can leave some better athletes home than other countries have. It’s part of our American way.”

Athing Mu will not defend her Olympic 800m title in Paris after falling in the US trials. pic.twitter.com/Grp0i6DxG2

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) June 25, 2024

It was Nia Akins who took the victory as she won with a personal best of 1:57.36. She will lead the trio of first-time Olympians as Allie Wilson clocked 1:58.32, and Juliette Whittaker ran 1:58.45.

Quincy Hall won the men’s 400m in a time of 44.17 as he chased down 2022 world champion Michael Norman who finished second in 44.41.

Chris Bailey was third with 44.42, while 16-year-old Quincy Wilson finished sixth with a time of 44.94.

Wilson ran 44.59 yesterday to break his own under-18 world record that he had set earlier in the heats. His sixth place finish means he will have to wait to see if the US team calls on him to be part of the relay pool.

Anna Hall won the women’s heptathlon as she pulled away with a strong 800m, winning her heat in 2:04.39. The 2023 world silver medallist had a slim, six-point lead going into the race as she finished the overall competition with 6614 points.

Hall earns her spot on her first Olympic team after undergoing a complex knee surgery at the beginning of the year – raising doubts over her return to track.

Chari Hawkins was second at 6456 points and Taliyah Brooks finished third with 6408. Of the three, Hall is the only one with the Olympic standard which means she could be the only American heptathlete in Paris.

The women’s 5000m was a close race as it saw Elle St. Pierre set a meet record of 14:40.34…