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Former Texas A&M star, Olympic medalist Athing Mu’s Paris hopes in peril after 800m fall

Mu got tangled with other 800-meter runners in Monday night’s final.

Athing Mu was looking to book her second consecutive trip to the Olympics on Monday night and to defend her gold medal in the women’s 800 meters at the 2024 U.S. Track and Field Trials.

It wasn’t for a lack of effort or fitness though that Mu will be missing out on an opportunity to do that.

A mere 200 meters intp the 800-meter final, Mu was caught up in a tangle of legs in the pack of runners and fell to the track. Before she could get up and catch back up to the group, she was already several seconds behind.

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The gap proved too much for even a runner of Mu’s caliber to make up. Despite running the 1500 meters in the past, Mu is not currently entered in that event, which has its first heats coming up on Thursday. This means that her Paris Olympic dreams more than likely came to an end on Monday night.

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Mu, while at Texas A&M, won three NCAA titles and set a whopping six all-time collegiate records. She also set eight Texas A&M records.

Mu, the American record holder in the 800 meters, made her 2024 outdoor debut with her appearance at the trials this week due to injury issues. At last year’s world championships in Budapest, Hungary, Mu was beaten out by both Mary Moraa of Kenya and Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain in the 800-meter final. Along with defending her gold medal in the event, Mu was looking for redemption against Moraa and Hodgkinson this summer in Paris.

A visibly shaken Mu finished the 800-meter final at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon despite the fall. She was in tears as she exited the track on Monday night.

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