One of America's most promising runners saw her hopes of back-to-back Olympic titles in the 800 meters fall away.Athing Mu in last place after falling in the women's 800-meter final during U.S. Track and Field Olympic Team Trials, June 24, 2024, in Eugene, Ore.10:14 AM CDT June 25, 2024. One hand hit the ground, then the other. As she rolled onto her back, her bright pink shoes started pointing toward the sky.
“I’ve coached it, I’ve preached it, I’ve watched it," Mu’s coach, Bobby Kersee, told The Associated Press."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.” “I have a little mama bear feeling,” said Montano, who is at the track this week doing in-house interviews over the PA system. “But the race is brutal sometimes. It's two laps, a tight race and everyone's feeling scrappy to try to figure out what position they want to get into.”
In interviews leading into this week's meet in Eugene, she said she had rediscovered her love for the sport and was looking forward to the quest to become a back-to-back champion. Hall won her 800 — the seventh and final event in the two-day heptathlon — to win the title and make the Olympics. It came three years after a stumble over the hurdles cost her a spot at the Tokyo Games, and a mere six months after knee surgery made her question if she could get back in time for Paris.