Reigning 800-meter gold medalist Athing Mu falls at Olympic trials, will miss Paris

Athing Mu, the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the 800 meters, tripped and fell during trials Monday, ending her bid to make the U.S. team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The shocking turn of events for Mu, a bronze medalist at the 2023 World Championships, showed just how difficult it is to make the elite U.S. track and field team at the Olympics.

Nia Akins, Allie Wilson and Juliette Whittaker finished 1-2-3 and will all be competing in their first Olympics.

The accident, just moments after the start of the final race to determine who gets on the plane to Paris, took place during the U.S. Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Oregon.

“It doesn’t matter who you are,” Ato Boldon told NBC Olympics during a pre-trials roundtable. “You’re guaranteed drama.” This is the hardest team to put together in the world.

Earlier in the year, Mu was nursing a sore hamstring and withdrew from two competitions.

Still, many expected her to compete in Paris.

“It’s hard to see, especially for someone like Athing, who, as you know, could win a gold medal,” 400-meter hurdles runner Rai Benjamin said from the sidelines on Monday. I’m supposed to be here, you know? But that’s just USA Track & Field. This is the hardest team to put together, and anything can happen here.”

At the Tokyo 2020 Games, Mu won gold medals in the 800 meters and the 4×400 meters relay.