'Things are going to happen'- Athing Mu predicts challenging 800m journey in the coming years

'Things are going to happen'- Athing Mu predicts challenging 800m journey in the coming years

Abigael Wafula 20:53 - 26.09.2024

Former Olympic champion Athing Mu aims to reshape 800m running over the next decade, embracing challenges to become a stronger athlete despite recent setbacks, including missing the chance to defend her Olympic title.

Former Olympic champion Athing Mu intends to rewrite the history of 800m running as she braces up for what is to come for the next ‘10 years.’

The American 800m sensation told Guardian Sport that she foresees a lot of changes happening, including tons of challenges that she has since experienced but that is not the end of the road for her as she intends to keep the fire burning.

Athing Mu further noted that all the challenges she is facing at the moment are to guide her to become a better athlete and shape the way she tackles her next assignments.

“Things are going to happen. Say I run 10 more years. In those years, so many things will happen. It’s not going to be all smooth sailing. Problems that we have are lessons that we learn,” Athing Mu said in an interview with Guardian Sport before the US Olympic trials.

Little did she know that one of the challenges that would threaten her career would be at the trials where she fell and ended up finishing ninth and missing out on a chance to defend her Olympic title. Her team filed an appeal to the American track and field federation but it was denied.

However, Athing Mu was not done yet, she decided to try out another race at the Holloway Pro Classic where she faded to a fifth-place finish and called it a season.

That was not the only time Athing Mu faced a huge challenge as she further disclosed that 2023 was a tough season for her and competing at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary was not one of her best outings. She cited mental health struggles.

“For sure, I wasn’t really happy to be there. The season leading up to it – not in terms of training, but mentally – I just wasn’t really there. I just wasn’t present. I didn’t appreciate being there. I didn’t really enjoy what was happening to me,” she added.

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