Apparently. Most of her energy is spent posing for cameras and attending media events for ALL to see. Getting b-o-r-I-n-g. Does she even run let alone race anymore?
The sad truth is that MU might switch from being an elite athlete to being an average model and still make the same money. With much less tax on the body.
Where are y'all getting this “might switch from being an athlete to modelling” stuff? Has she said that's what she wants, or are y'all just assuming?
The sad truth is that MU might switch from being an elite athlete to being an average model and still make the same money. With much less tax on the body.
Where are y'all getting this “might switch from being an athlete to modelling” stuff? Has she said that's what she wants, or are y'all just assuming?
I watched the podcast and she said something like her team were working on it (setting up modelling opportunities) anf it waz something she was interested in.
To European ears, she comes across as arrogant. She said in a previous podcast that "she likes being tall because it makes her feel superior"...Maybe that kind of comment comes across differently in the US. To Europeans, it just sounds a bit weird. You don't get Keely Hodgklnson saying "I like being beautiful, it makes me feel better than other people".
Mu is an Olympic and world champion, she doesn't really need to TELL people she feels superior, remind them that she's tall and so on.
I expected more about running, training, regime, race season plans from the podcast.
Apparently. Most of her energy is spent posing for cameras and attending media events for ALL to see. Getting b-o-r-I-n-g. Does she even run let alone race anymore?
Mu has been running since she was about 6 years old and has accomplished more than almost anyone ever will in their entire life. She has always represented the United States with class and grace. She has the right to make whatever choices in her life that make her happy.
Seriously, what more can she accomplish - Is American record-holder and Olympic Champion at a young age. If she were to break the WR, she would just be labelled as a doper for breaking a doping record. She can't win, so why bother - I think she should move on to less judgmental things in her life. Modelling would be a better replacement for spending time than running anyway. I guess if she were to move down to the 100m, it might be worth it still. But don't see that happening.
Seriously, what more can she accomplish - Is American record-holder and Olympic Champion at a young age. If she were to break the WR, she would just be labelled as a doper for breaking a doping record. She can't win, so why bother - I think she should move on to less judgmental things in her life. Modelling would be a better replacement for spending time than running anyway. I guess if she were to move down to the 100m, it might be worth it still. But don't see that happening.
One begats the other.
No Olympic/World champ, then no modeling career.
The question is, has she accomplished enough as an athlete already to leverage a career as a model.
As an athlete, she's barely scratched at her potential in both the 400 and the 800. She has the potential to take down the dirtiest WR in all of sports so let's hope that still happens
Yes, she comes off as arrogant in the USA as well.
Mu has always been widely recognized as one of the most humble athletes in the sport. Just because she always beats your favorite athlete doesn’t mean she is arrogant. Try to understand the difference between arrogance and confidence. Champions have confidence.
Agreed. Not sure how anyone can watch that interview and think she is arrogant. She comes across to me as humble, grateful, thoughtful, mature, and joyful. A great representative of the sport.
To those questioning her motivation to continue in the sport, she said in the interview that she’s going for the world record and she wants to double at a world championships. Also consider that she made the decision to relocate and change her coach and training group after all the success she’s already achieved. If she was complacent, she could have stayed with the setup that got her to Olympic and world championship gold and the American record. Her decision to change things shows that she’s not satisfied.
As for having fun in the sport, she said in the interview that she’ll quit the sport when it’s not fun anymore, ergo it’s fun for her now.
Yes, she comes off as arrogant in the USA as well.
Agreed. Never been a fan. Too "cool" to run with her high school team, ducks race after race as a pro, utterly embarrassing in that Millrose mile. I'm rooting for Keely.
The fact that she is even thinking about quitting track to become a model either now or in the future just shows how out of touch she is with reality and just how being a “poster” child for American middle distance running had bloated her sense of self. I guess this is what happen when you find success so early in life and everyone around you basically worship you for your abilities and potential. She’s a cute girl but modeling? Seriously? The only reason why she’s getting modeling jobs right now is because she can run fast. Goes a few season without getting gold medals and see if these brands are still interested in you modeling for them. I’m so ready for the outdoor season so that I can cheer on Hodkinson, Moora, Yerigo and Welteji. She hasn’t ran competitively in like half a year and is talking about quitting to become a model. Looks like somebody needs to be humbled both on and off the track.
It was a great interview other than they didn't know enough about her competition or her event to ask followup questions, like when she mentioned hanging it up after doubling at world championships. They had no clue what that meant so there was nothing regarding the 400.
Athing is very articulate and I love that she doesn't bog down an interview with nonsense like Sydney would interject. But I don't know about humble. She assigns that trait to herself. Meanwhile listen to slightly beyond the 27 minute mark. She is clearly annoyed that she didn't receive the treatment and notoriety she thought she deserved all along, until after she won the Olympic gold medal.
From that interview Athing clearly would hang it up right now if certain she could become a top tier fashion model. Lots of these women are obsessed with modeling. I had no idea how prevalent it was until following some athletes on Instagram. They beam when asked to model. Dalilah Muhammad posted the photos of herself on the catwalk last year. The famous biathlete Dorothea Wierer paused during the season to appear at a fashion show a couple of weeks ago. But probably the closest comparison to Athing is the breaststroke specialist Lydia Jacoby. Her Instagram is flooded with modeling. She's likewise very young and a Tokyo gold medalist while still a teenager. In fact, she was still in high school. Like Athing you would never look at her and think it's obvious she's fashion model caliber. But they get the bug and their level of fame leads to praise and encouragement from same aged peers. False interpretation. I just hope none of them are stupid enough to actually make the switch at the expense of their athletic careers.
Instagram culture, I’m guessing is a large part of it. All last summer when I’d run in parks I’d see at least one young woman doing a cellphone photo shoot with a friend, sometimes multiple pairs. Female friends I follow have accounts loaded with their attempts at model-esque shoots, some of it quite well done, some of it laughable, most of it kind of blah. I suspect part of it is a feeling that “put on clothes, pose or walk here, smile” is an easy job. Maybe it is, it probably beats working for a living. Another aspect, undoubtedly, is that models are pretty and girls will do absolutely anything they think pretty girls do: pretty-girl clout long predates internet clout. It’s why they’re obsessed with dances in school: pretty girls get asked to dances so they’ll be damned if they don’t get asked and will be anxious if no one has asked them out with a dance approaching. Pretty girls join sororities so girls line up to try and pledge one. Pretty girls insta so girls insta. Pretty girls go clubbing so girls go clubbing. If you’re ever confused by something a girl is doing, ask yourself if it’s popularly associated with the pretty ones, and if so, asked and answered.
The fact that she is even thinking about quitting track to become a model either now or in the future just shows how out of touch she is with reality and just how being a “poster” child for American middle distance running had bloated her sense of self. I guess this is what happen when you find success so early in life and everyone around you basically worship you for your abilities and potential. She’s a cute girl but modeling? Seriously? The only reason why she’s getting modeling jobs right now is because she can run fast. Goes a few season without getting gold medals and see if these brands are still interested in you modeling for them. I’m so ready for the outdoor season so that I can cheer on Hodkinson, Moora, Yerigo and Welteji. She hasn’t ran competitively in like half a year and is talking about quitting to become a model. Looks like somebody needs to be humbled both on and off the track.
You sound absolutely insufferable. There's nothing she’s done that warrants you wanting her to be humbled except for the fact that she's an American runner that has defeated your favorite non American runners.
Is it me or does she seem like she doesn't enjoy track that much and wants to retire and take up modelling? I hope she follows her passions, but if she's going to retire I hope she at least maximises her potential first! She can do big things
It's true that Athing Mu doesn't like track that much, but I don't think that she dislikes it to the point of quitting.
Maybe I feel this way because I'm old- but, I can see a pro athlete being tired of and unhappy with the travel. If you're world class you're weekends in season are racing, what time do you have to yourself?
I'm not saying that's bad in itself, but after years it might get old.
I can compare it with my coaching high school- I LOVED it, especially cross-country.
Then I decided it was time to go. My first autumn not coaching was amazing. I was recently divorced, seeing someone new. The fall weekends were wonderful- days trips around NY or even just staying home and having a fire outside.
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