'I'm blessed!' - Athing Mu reflects on friendship, challenges & road to redemption with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

'I'm blessed!' - Athing Mu reflects on friendship, challenges & road to redemption with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

Festus Chuma 18:12 - 02.02.2025

Athing Mu on why she adores Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone as the two track stars share a heartfelt moment ahead of the 2025 season.

World 800m silver medallist Athing Mu has once again expressed her admiration for fellow track star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

On Saturday, February 2, Mu took to her Instagram handle to reshared an adorable picture featuring the Olympic champion McLaughlin-Levrone and their close friend Maya Aviezer.

 The trio was seen embracing in the photo, exuding warmth and camaraderie.

Mu captioned the post with a playful reference to their bond, writing: "@athiing Infant🦙, Mamma 🦙, @sydneymclaughlin16 Baby🦙," followed by the words, "I love them."

This public display of affection is not new between the two American track stars. Just last week, Mu left a one-word reply on an Instagram post shared by McLaughlin-Levrone in which she sported a stunning black outfit, further cementing their strong friendship.

IMAGE: Screengrab

McLaughlin-Levrone, the reigning Olympic and world champion in the 400m hurdles, enjoyed a phenomenal 2024 season, capturing two gold medals at the Paris Olympics. 

She capped off her year by competing at the Diamond League Finals in Brussels, delivering another stellar performance.

Meanwhile, Mu had a heartbreaking end to her Olympic journey in 2024.

 The 22-year-old suffered a shocking fall during the 800m event at the U.S. Olympic Trials, ruling her out of contention for Team USA in Paris. The setback was a major disappointment for the talented middle-distance runner, who had previously secured Olympic gold in the 800m at Tokyo 2021.

Now, both athletes are setting their sights on the 2025 track season, with McLaughlin-Levrone preparing for the newly launched Grand Slam Track League. 

The prestigious event, spearheaded by track legend Michael Johnson, is set to commence in April, offering elite athletes a fresh competitive platform.

Speaking after her appearance at the Diamond League Finals in Brussels, McLaughlin-Levrone expressed her excitement about participating in the Grand Slam Track League.

“Yeah, I think it'll be fun. Honestly, being able to do two events and kind of just challenge yourself also using some of those as training blocks, I think it's just going to be really cool to see that dynamic and see the sport grow in popularity. So, I'm excited to be a part of that in any way,” she said.

She also hinted at a potential shift in events when asked if she might compete in the 200m alongside her usual 400m and hurdles races, responding with intrigue.

“It's always a possibility absolutely. So, I think yeah that's the exciting thing is I'm blessed with the ability kind of to switch some of these events and do different things and so yeah love challenging myself that's definitely a possible duo right there,” she wrote.

At the Paris Olympics, McLaughlin-Levrone shattered her own world record in the 400m hurdles clocking a staggering 50.37 seconds to claim gold.