Athing Mu, the defending Olympic gold medalist in the 800 meters, crashed during Monday’s test, ending the U.S. team’s bid to make it to the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The shocking events of 2023 World Championships bronze medalist Muyu show just how difficult it is to make the elite US track and field Olympics team.
Nia Akins, Allie Wilson and Juliet Whittaker finished 1-2-3 and are all headed to their first Olympic Games.
The crash happened at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Oregon, just minutes into the final race to decide who gets on the plane to Paris.
“It doesn’t matter who you are,” Ado Bolton told NBC Olympics In the pre-test roundtable. “You’re guaranteed drama. It is the toughest team in the world.
At the beginning of the year, Moo suffered a hamstring injury that forced him out of two matches.
However, many expected him to compete in Paris.
“It’s tough to watch, especially for someone like Athing, who you know can win a gold medal,” 400-meter hurdler Roy Benjamin said from the sidelines Monday. “You’re just — you feel for her because that’s who she is. Gotta be there, you know? But it’s just USA Track & Field. It’s a really tough team, and anything can happen here.”
At the 2020 Tokyo Games, he won gold medals in the 800m and 4x400m relay.
