the Athing Mu Worlds saga demonstrates something important about track fans...

In case it's not clear, I support Mu. Big fan of hers. I'm just analyzing the sentiment from the longer thread about her possibly skipping worlds.

Why should fans care about an athlete that doesn't care about competing?

Don't.

There's no saga. Stop fabricating.

She's done nothing wrong but bring records, podiums and medals to America. Yet for some their ego is so immature so new it has an inverse relationship to not even her success but her mere existence so they'll take her down in order to preserve it, not realising they're destroying everything in the process.

Who gives you the authority to determine that ?

It is more nuanced than that. Is there any greater motivational gulf than the Rift-Valley sized divide between Mu, arguably the LEAST suspected athlete when it comes to doping, and the apparently furious training and trialing efforts of Houlihan in the midst of her six-year doping ban? Can Shelby eventually exonerate herself through hard work and willpower? Certainly not with all the fans, but the situation is downright Shakespearian at this juncture.

I didn't determine anything. I asked a question. Apparently you don't have an answer.

Perhaps it is difficult to appreciate how hard a 49 second 400m runner has to push themselves in training in order to run close to four minutes for the 1500m.

No, oyou're correct. She. Does. Not. Care.

She's a genetic freak who worked... reasonably hard, for a time, but not harder because she didn't have too.

How were her A&M academic studies btw?

Note Simone Biles, who had physical and hence mental issues, has just come back victorious.

Further, when U.S. track is in such a perilous state ppularity wise thanks for the corruption and sub-competence of USATF, Nike etc... Mu's dereliction, delusions and lies lies lies (Hi Kersee!) are doubly frustrating, and detrimental to the sport.

So far there is only one here - you.

I don't think this is the issue. I can only speak for myself of course, but how much passion she does or doesn't have the sport doesn't bother me in the slightest. What does though, is the obvious lack of transparency .... Deciding not to run the World Championships and end your season when you're (apparently) fit and well and have barely raced anyway just "because", is NOT normal. I cannot think of a single precedent in the history of the sport.

And before anyone says it, I know she doesn't owe this to anyone but she must realise that this all just creates a bunch of questions which I'm sure she'd rather weren't being thrown around, and sure as hell Nike wouldn't either.

You're premise is that she doesn't care about competing. This you have no proof of. Other people, like myself, do not draw the same conclusion. A much better question to ask yourself is "Why do I choose to believe that she doesn't care about competing and why am forming such a strong opinion of her based on something that I cannot prove or disprove?"

You're trying to imply fans shouldn't care about Mu. Odd.

So disappear. You shouldn't watch, write about, think of her ever again. In fact, leave the thread.

Meanwhile, I'll positively care about a pleasant woman who's achieved so much and will continue to achieve into the future.

Who's measure and definition of care are you using ? Someone doesn't achieve all that without caring. Who are you to determine that in relation to another person ?

Why do you question her academics ? Do you care about being an empathetic and moral human being ?

No.

Do you need to know if and when I went to the toilet today ? Do you need to be inside the toilet when I take a sh!t ?

Leave the woman alone to her privacy and autonomy. Stop preying on her. She's an independent and sovereign human being. If and when she decides to run, I watch ! I respect her.

Where did I say we "need" to know? In fact, I specifically stated that she doesn't owe anyone anything in terms of an explanation. My point was that the whole situation is murky at best, and to try and sweep.it under the carpet as "preparations for next year" isn't fooling anyone, so to avoid unnecessary rumours, just come out and say what the deal is, as absolutely no one is buying it at the moment. Just clarify the situation, that's all, for her sake and for the sake of the company that are paying her a king's ransom too do something that she is hardly ever doing.

As for the rest of your weird post about needing to know when you go to the toilet, I get that you're defending her, but that was a very weird and illogical way to do so.

I think part of being a pro athlete, and a successful one at that, also carries an obligation to the fans. At minimum, a pro athlete should follow through with competitions. It's what they do and it's what we expect from them.

There's speculation because there is no communication.

weirdest post today