Olympic Trials Women’s 800 — Title To Akins Who Fell In ’21

THE OLYMPIC TRIALS are all about incredible joy and bitter heartbreak, and the women’s 800 (like the women’s steeple in 2021) was the perfect exemplar of those emotions.

Nearly everyone knows the basics of what occurred. Athing Mu, running only her third race of 2024 after nursing a hamstring problem, fell 200 meters into the final and finished 9th. The 2021 Olympic and 2022 World champion was moving in from lane 2 when her left leg bumped into trailing Raevyn Rogers, then became tangled between Rogers and Juliette Whittaker. Thrown off balance, down she went. The Tokyo Olympic champion made a brave but futile attempt to catch up. A post-race appeal was not upheld.

All of the main suspects advanced through the first round, led by Michaela Rose’s front-running 1:59.57. Mu appeared relaxed and unpressed in her heat, finishing a close 3rd. “It was pretty smooth. My legs were getting a little wake-up,” she said.

The draw for the semis two days later found Mu and Rose together, along with NCAA champ Whittaker. Rose went out hard and led for 795 meters, yielding to Mu and finally to fast-closing Kate Grace, who pushed her way through on the rail and wound up smashed against the timing sign on the infield. Rose, Whittaker and Kristie Schoffield qualified on time.

The other two semis were slower and less violent, Rogers taking the second from Sage Hurta-Klecker and Allie Wilson leading from 300 meters in the third ahead of Nia Akins. Notable casualties were veterans Ajee’ Wilson and Sammy Watson, Addy Wiley and NCAA runner-up Roisin Willis.

Schoffield led the final after the break, with Whittaker on her shoulder. When the collision occurred at 200, Rogers and Hurta-Klecker hurdled the fallen Mu, Rose and Akins veered around her, and Grace was briefly knocked off the track.

Schoffield continued to lead, with Rose, Whittaker, Akins and Wilson next. Rose took over at the bell in 57.68, with seven women bunched less than 0.9 behind her.

Just before 600m, Akins shot into the lead and would not be threatened, finishing in a PR 1:57.36. Wilson closed strongest of all, nabbing 2nd in 1:58.32. Whittaker moved past Rose in the stretch for a 1:58.45 personal best. The top three now had the Olympic standard and were ecstatic, a sobering contrast to the despondent Mu.

“It’s a whirlwind of…