Olympic champion Athing Mu debates skipping world championships

The reigning Olympic and world champion in the women’s 800m, Athing Mu, is uncertain whether she’ll be in Budapest at the 2023 World Championships to defend her 800m title later this month.

In an interview with the LA Times, her coach Bobby Kersee said that he and Mu are considering two options: defending her title at the world championships or training through the rest of the season to focus on the 2024 Paris Olympics. As the reigning champion, Mu gained automatic qualification into the 800m at these championships. She also qualified for the 1,500m by placing second at U.S. Trials, giving up her spot to Sinclaire Johnson to focus on the 800m.

“It’s in our control if we decide we’re just going to go ahead and train through this year and focus on next year, then that’s what we’re going to do,” Kersee said to the LA Times. “The training is going well but our thought process, openly, is that we’re going to just train here in L.A. for the next two weeks and the next time she gets on the plane it’ll either be on vacation or to Budapest.”

With three weeks until the heats round of the women’s 800m on Aug. 23, Kersee said the decision is still pending. Despite the uncertainty, Mu will declare for the world championships, and her guaranteed spot as the reigning world champion means her decision won’t affect another U.S. runner’s spot.

Many track fans are questioning Kersee’s logic, since Mu has only raced one 800m this season–a 1:58.73 win at the New York Grand Prix in June. Some speculate that either Kersee may not be confident in her preparations, or that she may be coming back from a training injury, though Kersee said he is mindful of managing Mu’s workload and balancing the demands of the tight timeline.

Mu was listed on the start list to compete in the 400m at this weekend’s Ed Murphey Classic in Memphis, Tenn. Kersee said she has withdrawn and will remain in Los Angeles to train.

This isn’t the first time in the last month that track fans have questioned Kersee’s decision-making. After his other athlete, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, won the USATF Track and Field Championships in the 400m, he said the 400m hurdles world record holder and reigning champion will only compete over the 400m distance in Budapest, despite the fact that the events are scheduled on different days.

The 21-year-old Mu holds the American record in the 800m and is the eighth-fastest woman in history over the distance, with a best of 1:55.04. The women’s 800m semifinals are scheduled for Aug. 25, with the final taking place on Aug. 27.