What?! Bobby Kersee says Athing Mu may do 800/1500 double at next year's Olympics

Actually the most interesting thing for LRCers would be an explanation from Kersee for why he’s not having Sydney and Mu run in the LA meet.

If the move of Athing to 1500m is a long term thing so Sydney can run the 400m unbothered... What an enormous waste.

How about they focus on doing a single race this season first

Honestly I just think this shows Kersee has no business coaching middle distance runners. He has no clue how big a gap there is at 1500 between Mu and Kipyegon. And the “no, no, no” response to the idea of McLaughlin and Mu racing at 400 is laughable, especially how he says “Particularly for me…it would not make any sense for me to put them together”—effectively admitting that he’s acting in his own interests, not those of the athletes.

A Mu can't make u.s. team, 1500m. By a miracle, if A My were to make u.s. 1500m team, A My will not make an international 1500m final. Leave the young lady alone!

Sounds like the chemist is high on his own supply.

The only thing in Mu favor is that the 1500 is after the 800 in Paris, so doing the 1500 is not going to impact her main event. I can see her running a solid1500 in a one off event (like Brazier did), but not after multiple rounds.

I can't even see her making the US team over 1500 and she'd be giving up a chance to win another gold in the 4x400, which you'd think she'd be a lock in.

Given Bobby's success over the past 30+ years, I'd hope he knows more than we do!

Yeah I guess we gotta go “In Bobby, we trust” because it seems this is all merely giving himself the benefit of the doubt. Like if Athing doesn’t make a 1500 team, it will be a training benefit. If she missed a 400m team it’d be harder to excuse that one. And for Sydney now it is easier for her to make both teams.

That thread says nothing about the Olympic double which is very different than running the 1500 at USAs this year because you have a bye to Worlds.

So the woman who split sub 49 on a gold medal 4x400m relay but who had to DNF a mile being 30m back of the winner who only split 4:02 en route... is more of an 8/15 than a 4/8 athlete?

A good joke. He also said in January that McLaughlin and Mu would race LA...

Think this simply Sydney and Bobby not wanting another threat in the 400m. Mu's PR is a 4:36 mile with a 32 last 200m. Kipyegon closed a 3:53 with a 44s last 300m.

Maybe Kersee was the guy behind FloJo thinking that she could be a world-class marathoner. While 400m hurdler Lisa Martin Ondeiki did so (Olympic medalist), it was laughable to think Flojo would - Mu doing the 1500m at OG (can see a one-off training test) as opposed to 400m is equally ridiculous. Or he has a huge supply of EPO that he plans to use on Mu.

Kersee thinks Mu can win Gold in the 1500m? Ahead of Kipyegon? Tsegay? Muir? Welteji?

What universe is he living in.

Can't believe Athing is putting up with a coach who is keeping her away from the 400m because he doesn't want her to race her teammate.

Having experienced/observed a lot of B. Kersee over the decades:

He likes to keep his athletes and himself talked about. That's the main thing for him.

I didn’t read the Kersee interview, but if he seriously thinks Mu is better suited to contend for a gold in the 1500 in Paris as opposed to the 400, this may be the single dumbest opinion of the year, if not ever (opinion about T&F). If Kersee posted this on an LRC thread, I think it would generate a record number of downvotes.

He needs to move them both up to the ‘Thon, then we would know he’s a serious coach.

Well maybe if Jeremy Wariner was an 800m runner then…

Actually I think the experiment is worth it. Sometimes one has to think outside the box. If Mu can make the US team, which we cannot rule out, then it might be a learning experience. If she cannot make the US team, then that should end the experiment. So it is all good.

Bobby Kersee does NOT think that Athing Mu has a shot at the 1500 Olympic gold medal. He just likes to see himself quoted in an article. That's all this is. Kersee likes to talk about himself.

I can't believe that some of you think Bobby Kersee is serious.

Has Mu been asked what SHE wants to do? Or is Kersee dictating and misspeaking what will happen. Frankly Mu is too in love with the camera and events to dress up to, to actually train seriously. You can’t focus on fashion and limelight and train seriously at the same time, with major competitors breathing down your neck and moving up the ranks