Where is Athing Mu?

How many times have the following athletes competed in their main event since January 1st 2022, not counting heats, their National Trials, or Worlds (since they all have to do those last two)?

Mondo Duplantis - 21
Femke Bol - 15** if you treat 400m indoors as also main event, 7 if you just count hurdles
Keely Hodgkinson - 12
Laura Muir - 10
Jakob Ingebrigtsen - 10
Gudaf Tsegay - 9
Emmanuel Korir - 7
Yulimar Rojas - 6
Jake Wightman - 6* coming off injury
Mo Katir - 5
Letesenbet Gidey - 4**

With Gidey, feel this applies different to 10,000m specialists given there are so few opportunities to run them so credited her as a 5/10 athlete. She also made her marathon debut in the fall. If you only count 10,000m/10k it's 2.

Athing Mu - 2.

She has raced the Rome Diamond League in June 2022, and the "Michael Johnson Classic" in April - an early season college meet in Texas.

She ducks running the 800m unless she feels super ready, it's pretty obvious.

She owes me so many opportunities to watch her fall on her face.

Athing Mu and Sydney McLaughlin are no longer up and coming stars, they are at the top of their sport. They no longer need many races for learning purposes. Keeping a low profile early doesn't cost much in lower earnings versus running and winning, especially compared to the increased wear and tear (don't forget travel takes something out of people too).

The occasional fan is not bothered by what happens in minor meets (even Diamond League is minor to them), but there are so many more occasional fans that the big money comes from them. Optimizing quality at top meets, some records here and there, and extending career time at top level is what gets the big bucks.

Before the money was "legal", the same considerations were in effect when pride is what people competed for. If hard core fans instead want this to be more like team sports where the long regular season is worth a lot by itself, then "regular season" payouts need to be much higher, perhaps millions for regular top 3 and hundreds of thousands for next 5 over the course of the year. The combination of fan numbers, and what they are willing to pay, is not there and likely never will be. Then again, I remember when in US, baseball was the king of pro sports and most major leaguers needed a winter job.

Great research but you left out some important context. How many of those athletes had their 2022 season disrupted by covid and injury? How many moved to a new part of the their country to start a new training program with a new coach in the offseason?

I agree that she doesn’t want to run unless she’s able to perform at a level we all expect of her (and that she expects of herself), and that’s understandable. She knows what it takes to perform at the highest level, and I trust her judgment.

Mu has more to lose than gain from entering a race in only 2:00 shape. Namely her psychological edge over her opponents. Right now she has an air of invincibility. If she were to be defeated and only run 2:00 that would show her rivals that they can beat her. Better to keep them thinking they can’t.

Don’t underestimate the value of psychological advantage in racing. One of the reasons Mo Farah was so dominant is the other guys racing him were scared of him. That’s why they didn’t push the pace and they let him dictate things. They were beaten before the race even started. A champion should try to maintain that psychological advantage as much as possible.

Hey man, I don't intend to belittle you with my post. If that's what you felt like I did, then please accept my apology. The reason I didn't quote you was twofold: 1) There were other points I wanted to make other than responding to yours, and 2) I've seen this point made in other threads and didn't feel the need to single you out here.

Still, I think you bring up a valuable point to consider, though I do not completely agree with it. It is true she doesn't owe it to us to race through the season, as long as she's meeting the requirements of her contract. Yet, there are plenty of athletes that race through the season even if it's not required of them. I cannot say for certain that their main reason for doing so is to "grow the sport", but I'd be willing to bet it's one of a handful of reasons. It is evident there are athletes who feel responsible to participate in putting eyes on the sport. After all, they are the spectacle here. Racing, no matter what the result of it is, is always > not racing.

So, my point simply is: I find it regrettable that two of track and field's main superstars don't feel the need to race through the season, for reasons entirely unknown to the fans.

I say all that will as much goodwill toward you as possible. Surely we can have different opinions and have a civil discussion on LRC!

She doesn't duck running, she's just not as passionate about it as some people. If you watched her pivot podcast interview, you get a pretty clear picture of a young woman who is tired of the pressure and the sacrifice, and ready to have more fun in life.

She's accomplished everything she can in the sport other than the maybe unattainable world record. I wouldn't fault her for doing the bare minimum to make it through 2024 with a respectable showing and then moving on.

Mu is a headcase. and shes probably physically not quite at her best.

The pressure is wearing but too bad. You have to relax and enjoy it.

I agree with this a little bit, but I think Keely is over that psychological hurdle based on how she raced her in Tokyo. She was tracking her and expecting to pass her in the last 100. I also don't think Moraa has any fear, and would be unafraid to go out in front of her and control the race if she wanted to, or get on her shoulder with 100 to go with full expectation of outkicking her.

Domestically, is where this would mostly apply as I don't see any of the American contenders being willing to take the lead from Athing in the first 600. If she wants to preserve that that's fine, and it's what Ajee used to have herself when she used to control races. But it will be a non-factor in the 800m World Final.

She and her team would get a good laugh out of this if they saw it. A headcase that is defending Olympic and World gold medalist. Only American woman to ever win both. American record holder in the 800. Won NCAA championships and set records in her only year in the NCAA. Many AAU championships prior to that. That’s not the pattern of a headcase. Or if it is….many athletes would love to be one I guess.

Agree. And that’s why we’ll never see her again.

I agree that she doesn't owe T&F fans anything, but by the same token T&F fans don't owe her anything either -- including some sort of vow of silence whereby they refrain from discussing her status until she provides an update on it.

Mu is obviously enormously talented, but clearly lacks the mentality to be one of the all-time greats. It's harder staying at the top than it is getting there, as the saying goes. Too bad.

I'd take a short position on her making the team next year. The event is too good in the US, even for someone of her ability.

this comment is meant to rile.

talking retirement? when you can do track? and train? as if track is a really tough profession, as if you a have to sacrifice your life? running pro is not tough, you hurt what? 10-30 minutes on a hard day???

no, train 80% to capacity, and a bit more once an a while, eat fine foods, get 8 hours sleep, take a month long active holiday every year. model once a week and make them come to you.

regroup, and go get em. have fun.

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David Goggins

David Goggins (born February 17, 1975) is an American ultramarathon runner, ultra-distance cyclist, triathlete, public speaker, and author. He is a retired United States Navy SEAL member who served in the Iraq War. His first...

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What ever happened to athletes like Edwin Moses? 122 wins in a row over 10 years.