Athing Mu may skip 2023 World Championships and focus on 2024

She's peaked, not physically, but mentally. She and Sydney McLaughlin are the most gifted female athletes in the country, but it's not clear that further competition for either is a clear path to the future. I wouldn't be surprised to see Sydney's attention wander also.

I hate to speculate but what if she's pregnant?

Given her only 800m run this year, and getting through the rounds of the 1500m to run a 4:03, it's hard to believe a healthy Mu couldn't get in very good shape between US Championships and Budapest.

That would suggest-

Either a health/injury problem - she did say she wasn't right for the 2022 World Championships, although she didn't specify what was wrong.

That she just doesn't want to compete, very probably because the pressure of an unbeaten record and expectations has taken a toll.

It somewhat reminds me of Herb Elliott who pretty much quite after the Rome Olympics season (he did a post-Olympics tour, and then did some lower key events or Cambridge when at college in England, generally avoiding the mile). He too had an undefeated record (at 1500m/mile) and in part not losing that record played a major part in Elliott's decision to retire at age 22. Rather like Mu, he was also someone for whom running was not his life.

Not Athing Mu

Why can't someone choose to take a Sabbatical as a professional athlete? She can decide to do whatever she wants. I am sure she's aware of any contractual or financial consequences that may come her way if she chooses not to race.

Yes, it's disappointing because I enjoy watching Athing race. She's amazing. But, I would very much like to watch a happy and healthy Athing race versus an Athing that isn't living within her values and unhappy. We will not see her at her best if she feels she is racing just to appease people.

You're the American version if El K. You can't even use El K's ridiculous excuse of 'our anti-doping is the only one that's working' as this Mu affair is shady as hell and she's clearly being protected just like Lewis, Lagat and countless other Americans were in the 80's and 90's.

And another American athlete was banned today.

Well neither of them are obvious dopers, or come from countries that narrowly escaped being kicked out of the sport last year because of rampant doping.

Well that’s just the great American “you can do ANYTHING” delusion isn’t it.

By the way, this was exactly the same path Tori Bowie took - believed she had conquered track and wanted to be a supermodel. Not comparing the life and circumstances behind the scenes of Bowie and Mu, but it’s eerily the same journey if the “modeling” ambitions of Mu are true.

Right - and yet the disappointment/shock of Jakob doing the same thing (a white male not even from the US) would be infinitely greater (in the sport in general and amongst followers of this website/MB).

To be honest I don’t really care, I just don’t. She can do what she wants she really can. She races so infrequently and isn’t close to/breaking any records of importance (like Kipyegon, J.I) that she isn’t a pillar of the circuit that would be obviously missed at the worlds.

If she believes she can make enough money with this path as an athlete then good for her. I’ll tell you right now that Beaverton will definitely not forget if she decides to take a “load management” year off when/if it comes to the next deal.

Bottom line if this all is true she’s really not that relevant anyway to make a big difference - unless on the US medal count that what, we really still care about these days as some source of patriotism?

Jakob is a very obvious doper,every bit as obvious as the kenyans and ethiopians,if you know what to look for.Nothing clean or natural about him.

Sorry coevett,but im not American.Not even close.And youre right.Americans are the real world champions of mass doping in sport,and getting away with it.I also agree with you about mu being protected,as many top americans are.She probably got popped for EPO,and its been swept under a rug.

I have no idea if she has booked photo shoots or runway work but if her contracts are sweet enough, then perhaps she follows the Lance Armstrong reasoning. For him there was only one race that mattered, he barely messed around with any one day classics, other grand tours, he was focused on France. Maybe Mu, because of timing can focus only on the Olympics. But it will be difficult after this cycle to disappear until LA. Her competitors are catching up and she needs to be racing all different scenarios. She may be in for a surprise next time she mixes it up with the internationals.

" If you don't vote for me you ain't black "

Joe Biden

The TdF is annually competed. The World champs would be the TdF this year.

And if Mu was pregnant, oh, we'd be hearing and seeing that on display.

And she can do whatever she wants, but if you don't want inuendo, be forthright in what's happening.

Hopefully I'm wrong, but I think if Mu misses Worlds this year, she won't get back to being a champion and will retire in the next 2 years.

I guess I don't know what to look for. Could you please explain to us why Jakob is an obvious doper?

Autonomy.

Elliot wanted to get married and have a family. His coach, Percy Cerutty, did not.