Athing Mu Falls Short at US Olympic Trials, Protest Denied

Athing Mu, the reigning Olympic champion in the 800 meters, saw her hopes of defending her title in Paris dashed after a fall during the US trials in Eugene, Oregon. Mu got tangled with other runners about 200 meters into the race and fell, finishing last and well behind the winner, Nia Akins. Despite an appeal to USA Track and Field, her protest was denied, meaning she will not compete in the individual 800m in Paris. Mu's coach, Bobby Kersee, highlighted the unforgiving nature of the US qualifying system, which only takes the top three finishers regardless of past achievements. Mu may still participate in the Olympics as part of the US relay pool, having been a part of the gold-medal winning 4x400m team in Tokyo.