Opinion: Athing Mu's Olympic Trials Reminds Us Of The Volatility And Fragility Of Elite Running (2024)

They say, “You’re only as good as your last race,” and nothing reminds us more of this than the quadrennial spectacle that is the Olympic Games…or more so, getting to the Olympic Games.

Once every four years, track and field athletes get to compete on the biggest stage in the world against the best athletes in the world. However, for American athletes, the journey to get to the Olympic Games is arguably more challenging than the Olympics themselves.

For American Olympic hopefuls, nothing they do (so long as they actually qualify for the Olympic team trials) really matters in the four years leading up to the Olympic Games. It doesn’t matter how many records you set, races you’ve won, or championship titles you brought home.

The only thing that matters is the Olympic Trials themselves.

If you don’t have the best day of your life at the Olympic Trials, I can guarantee you another runner will. Regardless of whether you’re the current world champion, defending Olympic champion, or world record holder, if the trials don’t go to plan, you’re left picking up the pieces.

It could be an injury, illness, or a nasty mid-race fall. One wrong move and four years of meticulous planning and relentless training are down the drain. That’s the nature of elite sport. There is volatility.

The difference between the top three and fourth, fifth, and even sixth is often so small. Sometimes, you end up on the good side; sometimes, you end up on the bad side. But most of the time, that difference occurs because of nothing we can control.

The most recent example of the cruelty that is the Olympic Trials…Athing Mu.

Defending Olympic champion in the 800m, world champion, Diamond League Final winner, the list of accolades goes on. She’s been nearly unbeaten in the 800m since she claimed gold back at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, with her ‘worst’ placing being third at the 2023 World Championships.

Being a dominant force in the 800m, American record holder, and eighth-fastest women of all-time in the 800m, you’d think the 1:54 runner would be a shoo-in for her second Olympics.

Enter: Olympic Trials brutality.

Four years of consistency and results came crumbling down in front of Mu after a tragic fall 200m into the 800m finals left her too far behind to clinch an Olympic berth. It was Nia Akins (1:57.36 PB) who managed to claim the top spot, just ahead of Allie Wilson (1:58.32 SB) and Juliette Whittaker (1:58.45 PB).

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to take away from the accomplishment of these three talented athletes. Like Mu, they’ve built the last four years of their lives, and beyond, around this moment.

But to get a sense of just how cruel the Olympic Trials can be, let’s take a look at the accolades and times of both Mu and Akins.

Take away the trials process, and it’s easy to see which athlete would be the first choice for Paris, but as Akins said in response to Mu’s fall, “That’s life.”

The Olympic Trials Quarter-Life Crisis

When looking at the Olympic Trials as an outsider, it’s clearly a high-stakes event. A lifetime of work for a single race towards Olympic glory, in hopes of representing Team USA, and while that’s not incorrect, there’s so much more to it.

It’s bigger than just making a team, it’s a life altering moment where most competitors will have to decide whether they continue racing for their dream.

For most Olympic hopefuls who aren’t so fortunate to clinch their ticket to Paris, the Olympic Trials become their quarter-life crisis. It’s the finish line where many athletes need to stop and reevaluate everything they know.

Can I do this for another year? Can I do this for another four years? Can I afford to do this for another cycle? Am I too old now? Is it worth it?

Four years spent envisioning a day where all their dreams come true and their hard work comes to fruition is not the reality for most. Rather, it’s an emotional blow, stepping off the track knowing it could be the last time you ever race.

When track is all you’ve known for the majority of your life, from childhood to competing in college to competing professionally, it’s hard to cope with going from the best shape of your life to the thought of never crossing the finish line again. All of this happens in an instant.

The moral of the story is this: It doesn’t matter how good you are; the U.S. Olympic Trials are volatile. They take no prisoners. An athlete can go from being one of the fastest runners in the world to running their last steps competitively, all in the blink of an eye.

Are the Trials fair? Well, that’s a loaded question that would even a group of philosophers would take a while to answer.

Are they cruel? Undoubtedly.