Are any of the men commenting on Athing Mu, a husband, father of one or more daughter or grandfather to a granddaughter or brother to a female college athlete? Why do most women, age 21 either quit playing sports or take time off?
Some of the men commenting claim to be high school and/or college T&F coaches. Not one of you has heard of females quitting playing sports to spend more time with boyfriend/husband &/or to be a mother?
Females procreating is the strongest evidence of no p.e.d.s. What kind of future mother would go on the best 800m rocket fuel for females, The Clear? If Athing Mu does procreate, at least some will stop p.e.d. talk.
I'm a woman and I can say clearly that very few 21 year old women are desperate to have kids these days. And Athing's boyfriend is at the track, so your theory is a dis-service girls and women.
Like the young male athletes we live from the sport, I think Mu lacks work ethic. I think if she doesn't get to Wotlds this year, she will fail to return to the level she was at in successive years. Its way easier to run that fast when you are young and injury free and I simply can't sew her dealing well with being slower from lack of racing/training, never mind coming back from the injuries all athletes get.
She doesn't have the work ethic for modelling either, and at 21, she's too old to compete against teenagers from Eastern Europe and the third world who are hungry for success. And she doesnt have a modelling contract. She could do influencer type photos shoots but a regularly employed model? No way is she going to castings every day and travelling to shoes and shoots. She's far too lazy and she thinks all it takes is being tall.
She needs to get a job if she doesn't want to race, preferably one that doesn't involve her telling everybody how great she is and how tall she is and how talented she is. Doesn't she have any parental input keepingbl her grounded and encouraging her to work?
......
Some of what you said could possibly be true but one for sure isn't is the laziness. You may chalk it up to people telling her she could be a model and her own lack of priorities. But HONESTLY what woman would turn down a chance to be a model if it presented itself, not many but there ARE SOME. Hell in that case F. Bol and S. McLaughlin should be out there modeling they are tall and pretty but they aren't are they Miss My . Go with your talent and stop being so vain. One type of athlete not pursuing modeling definitely should be:
A YOUNG Olympic/World Champion who yet to reach her peak.
As much as Mu doesn't meet my weak demands that she race more. If she steps on the track I'm still going to follow and root for her. Despite any controversy I'll still watch just like I'll watch Jenny Simpson run a marathon and I'm still waiting on the return of Shelby because I will still follow regardless. I hope Mu does run Worlds but if she doesn't she still doesn't lose me as a fan. Controversy or not the women are still "The Show " for track and field.
The real reason it bothers us has nothing to do with Athing Mu herself. She is not the problem and as many others have said, she can live her life however she wants.
The real reason it bothers us is that we know, every time we watch a women's 800m race, that we are not really watching the best of the best.
It would be like watching Golden State without Curry or the Chiefs without Mahomes. It is still the same sport, but fans know that whatever match-up we get, it isn't the match-up we wanted.
Unless we are seeing Mu vs. Keely, it isn't the pinnacle of the sport. And we all know that. That sort of spoils the show. Imagine going to a Bulls game in the 1990s expecting to see Jordan but he's not there. It just isn't the same.
p.s. This also applies to Sydney as well. Does anyone really want to watch Bol run uncontested? I don't. I want to see Bol vs. Sydney.
Unless we are seeing Mu vs. Keely, it isn't the pinnacle of the sport. And we all know that. That sort of spoils the show. Imagine going to a Bulls game in the 1990s expecting to see Jordan but he's not there. It just isn't the same.
p.s. This also applies to Sydney as well. Does anyone really want to watch Bol run uncontested? I don't. I want to see Bol vs. Sydney.
There’s also this other woman who has won her last 3 outdoor 800s vs. Keely, and 4 of her last 5.
In McLaughlin’s case I think it’s more entertaining to see what she can do in the flat 400 instead of watching her win another 400h title and probably beat Bol by a good 5 meters. I respect the decision to mix it up and take on a new challenge.
It just seems to me that she's not enamored with the expectations and pressure that come with talent like hers. She's young but has been dealing with "what people expect her to do" for a long time. Some feel she has an obligation to fans of hers and that's part of what's driving her away from the sport.
Only losing the fan base of actual track and field fans. The simps who only know about her because she won gold in 2021 and don't actually follow the sport will still think she's the best thing ever, until she doesn't win next summer.
You don't get it. YES she have the right to do as she pleases but media and fans don't have to report or support someone who isn't 100% hell or least 85,% focused on athletics.
Athing Mu is afforded the chance to go into modeling because of her recent and rapid success in athletics. To ignore a sport for something (modeling) you MOST LIKELY otherwise would never gotten a chance to do is insane. I mean, come on IS SHE serious?
Yet here you are. You are so insufferable! The hubris you display: her passion and focus on athletics isn't up to your expectations. GTFO and get a life; clearly Athing Mu has one whether you approve or not.
I hate to break this to you, but Athing is not losing any fans and she will always be big news. Just because her athletic career doesn’t follow your prescribed template doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with it. There are a lot of ways for athletes to stay relevant even when they’re not racing. And when they show up and win major championships, people rejoice. This discussion board has evolved into therapy for angry, lonely, dysfunctional people looking for validation. Everyone needs to take a break and get outside and enjoy the summer. I really can’t imagine how miserable people must be to feel the need to come here and obsessively hate on young, talented, and successful athletes.
So Miss. Athing is considering missing Worlds. Go ahead but you don't win and keep fans by skipping either of the big dances and you're fit and healthy!
VIPAM you've NEVER been a fan of the sport. You've only been a groupie of the very top end. I dont think that Athing or any other elites give a damn what you think. So move along.
I've found it easy to be a fan of athletes, their trials and tribulations from top to bottom. Thats a real fan -- something you know nothing about. The only thing you care about is the next flashy bauble of the moment, and your obsession with riding their coattails as they perform.
Only losing the fan base of actual track and field fans. The simps who only know about her because she won gold in 2021 and don't actually follow the sport will still think she's the best thing ever, until she doesn't win next summer.
You actually think someone other than a track and field fan has ever heard of her?
Only losing the fan base of actual track and field fans. The simps who only know about her because she won gold in 2021 and don't actually follow the sport will still think she's the best thing ever, until she doesn't win next summer.
You actually think someone other than a track and field fan has ever heard of her?
Eliud Kipchoge, who routinely skips the world championships in favor of more lucrative opportunities, including sham "marathons" that do nothing more than promote a product or two and largely undermine the credit due to the world's first sub-two marathoner, which now seems almost certainly not to be Kipchoge.
Yes I think very highly of her unreached potential in the 400, 800, and 1500m. Many have run across my post concerning Athing as the future of middle distance running.
The thing that bothers me is no athlete as successful as she has been have shown such a lackadaisical attitude towards running. If she doesn't run Worlds than why be a fan of someone who can't even depend on seeing on the GP circuit or even the World Championships
Yes it's her life to do as she please but it's also he fans right to follow/not follow and writers to report/not report anything unless on her race performances. Stop giving press to an elite athlete who doesn't have the passion for OUR sport. I
f she actually skips Worlds this year, please give her zero exposure.
Great talent but who skips Worlds and is healthy?
She's not just the future, she's the "now". She's our greatest shot at a gold medal and she already has two under her belt...
She is not skipping the World Championships. This is an IQ test and most if you are failing. Kersee likes to tell lies.
IQ test?
Please explain.
This is not BK's call. It's Mu not being "All in" and BK saying "If you're not all in, why go?"
The IQ test relates to Kersee manipulating many of you folks. Kersee likes to say cryptic or outlandish comments to elicit a reaction. Watch their actions and pay no attention to their words. Athing will be competing in Budapest.
There is a momentous difference between a marathoner and a track athlete skipping Worlds. Track 800m athletes can easily run a dozen meets, even 5000m athlete have run 7-10 races in the track in a single year. Serious elite marathoners have a maximum of 3 chances at top 0erformance in the marathon and some of the payouts are considerably more than payout of 1st at Worlds.
Malmo (mal ho)
I You know nothing about me, in fact some of my favorite and most admired athletes are several you will NEVER have the chance to know (ie Trevor Grahan only man in NCAA history to score in 800m, 1500m, steeple, 5000m, and 10000m at the same conference championship and won 3.) .
I support local and known athletes way more than I post on this or any website, so know what you speak about before polluting the board and the world with your vile bile.
This post was edited 15 minutes after it was posted.
It strikes me that Bobby Kersee doesn't want this kind of publicity. Bobby Kersee publicity involves winning off events, golds, and world records. That's why he had McLaughlin running the 400m and trying to get Mu to run the 1500m. I can understand him not wanting his athletes to be overraced when he knows they'll be at their best at championships on a lighter racing schedule with key prep races that he has signed them up to run--and they have still skipped a number of them. What he's trying to do now is to exert public pressure on Mu to run World's by showing her how much people want her to run. Clearly, she doesn't want to run, and it's not laziness. She has been trained hard for running since she was 4 or 5 and she is still doing it this year even though she's hardly raced at all. She already was close to national record levels as a sophomore. She didn't even run for her high school, to my knowledge, but focused on club all that time. She reached the heights of success as an NCAA freshman. No, it's perfectionist anxiety and self-doubt about racing and burnout that she's facing now.