“System Is Broken”: Athing Mu’s Possible Paris Olympics Bid Throws Track and Field Legend Into Hot Mess With Community

Since Athing Mu’s disqualification in the 800m final round in the ongoing US Olympic track and field trials, the discussion has faced a flood of logic and counter logic. A large chunk of the track and field fans have voted for a rerun of the event. Such a demand has found its air after smelling something fishy in Mu’s tripping in the 200m of the event.

The visuals show that the defending Olympic champion couldn’t control the jerk of tripping and claimed the last position on the leaderboard. While the voices for a rerun were achieving a headline, some demanded to put her name into the upcoming 1500m trial roster. But such things are contrary to the US Trials Selection policy- the same policy that has been hailed by a legend today. 

In his X-post, Michael Johnson grieved over Athing Mu’s exit from the women’s 800m American team for the Paris Olympics. But he is not ready to question the existing policy. The four-time Olympic champion carefully noted, “Our US Trials selection policy works best because it eliminates politics in selection. And the strength and depth of the US team allows such a policy.”

But those statements irked several track and field followers. They have questioned such policies that fail to counter the issues that prove to be a heavy blow to the favorites. Keeping a tab on Athing Mu’s fiasco, one such fan has penned, “The system is broken if it’s leaving Olympic gold medal favourites at home.”