2023 World Athletics Championships

Athing Mu's Team Has Made No Decision Yet About 800m Future At Worlds

Athing Mu's Team Has Made No Decision Yet About 800m Future At Worlds

There is no certainty that the defending Olympic and World Champion at 800 meters will run in Budapest

Aug 3, 2023 by Cory Mull
Athing Mu's Team Has Made No Decision Yet About 800m Future At Worlds

We may be just three weeks away from the World Championships in Budapest, but one Olympic and World champion has yet to make a decision about her race intentions. 

The Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday that Athing Mu, the defending World and Olympic champion at 800 meters, and her coach Bobby Kersee have yet to determine whether she will compete at the distance at the World Championships. Mu trains out of Kersee's group in Los Angeles. 

"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," Kersee told the Los Angeles Times. "The training is going well, but our thought process, openly, is that we're just going to just train here in L.A. for the next two weeks and the next time she gets on the plane, it'll be either be on vacation or to Budapest."

Mu last ran at the USATF Outdoor Championships, where she finished second in the women's 1,500m final in 4:03.44, qualifying for the U.S. team going into the World Championships. 

But Mu opted to give up her spot. 

It was expected at that point that Mu would focus exclusively on the 800m in Budapest. In June, she ran 1:58.73 at the distance at the USATF NYC Grand Prix. At this current juncture, all reports point to Mu being 100-percent healthy. 

But what appeared to be certain is no longer. 

Kersee confirmed for the Times that Mu will not run in the 400m at the Ed Murphey Classic taking place this weekend in Memphis, Tennessee. 

Fortunately, Mu is not holding up a spot on the U.S. roster. 

As the defending champion, she is guaranteed a place in Budapest. While the World Championships begin on August 19, the first round of the women's 800m begins on August 23.

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