Spot on analysis! Thank you. What you said is exactly what I thought when I watched it. Unfortunate accident but a poor response from Athing to get back up. There is an adrenaline boost that occurs with a fall that could have given her the physical stimulus to get back in the pack and then finish in 3rd, 2nd, or even 1st if she had persevered. 🤔

Athing Mu has had history falling during a major race in the past. I get her strategy and her and her Coach need to figure out how to prevent this from happening in a major race in the near future. Great Analysis.

Excellent analysis! Thanks for doing this

It's all about having a warrior mentality. Sifan Hassan fell in the Tokyo OLYMPICS during the bell lap of the 1,500. Understand? The race was nearly over. It was the Olympics - the best runners on the planet. It was the bell lap. Others were already kicking. She was on the ground, in dead last. But she got up, and without a moment's hesitation about the amount of pain she would have to endure to even catch the pack (of the fastest runners in the world, who were themselves already sprinting), she took off at a dead sprint as if there was only 50 meters to run. She didn't stop her utmost, all-out, lung bursting, sprint until she crossed the finish line - in first place. Lasse Viren in the '72 Olympics, same thing. Athing Mu fell only 26 seconds into the race. She only had to get into the top three to make the Olympic Team. She has way more talent than anyone sharing the track with her. She had more than a lap and a half to do it. She could have cemented her legacy as legendary. But she just isn't mentally of the same stuff as others who had to fight and claw their way to the top.

The fact is Mu is the only runner in that moment that suddenly moved off her line by trying to move left very suddenly. Every other runner maintained their line. She did this in the last trials and tripped the runner behind her. This is a cardinal sin in cycling and brought her undone here.

This is why the Olympic trials should not have been her 1st race back. With this being an Olympic yr u need to be in a running rhythm coming into the trials not trying to find 1 at the trials. Also her stride is too long to be in a pack anyway which is y she typically gets out in front. She should of never been in that situation in the 1st place. I like Athing Mu n was looking forward to seeing her defend her title but after this happened n the shock of it wore off...i dont know. It just seemed, dare i say arrogant on her part. Did she think she would just stroll into the trials w/o having run a race all yr n make the team because shes done it before? I dont know but i hope this is a really good learning experience for her n motivation to do better going forward. Also wanna say this was a great video. U broke it down perfectly. This wasn't a malicious act from any of those woman. It was a sloppy race plan on Athing Mu's part

I like the idea of the 2 world champions since the previous Olympics and the previous Olympic champion qualify as long as they still have met the Olympic standard. That way it is still merit based and even gives more incentive to compete in world championships.

It is the most fair, open, and transparent system!

I think she shifted into the left too quickly and caused this herself. I don’t think we should change the way we sent people to the Olympics at the trials because it’s done so close before the Olympics it generally shows who the best three are to represent our country most of the time. if someone’s injured, they’re likely to still be injured in four weeks. If someone is rusty on their racing, they’re still likely to be rusty on their racing in four weeks. I’m a big fan of Athing and I wish her the best. But this just wasn’t her year.

She just trying to get in the Olympics instead of admitting she made a mistake.

Our system is good. Don’t change it

For people saying she should have just immediately bounced back up and ran herself back into the race, I'd posit that she was totally stunned by the fall and couldn't believe that it had happened. It was so fast that it would take at least a few moments to collect yourself and get going again. I doubt this scenario is something they train for (yeah they probably talk about it but that isn't the same).

What's to appeal her foot and rivers colluded she fell last time her foot and sage herta collided and sage fell there was no appeal. Others like sage would have to get an appeal as well because she was affected as well.

Lack of practice and running only on special occasions are what got her.

Wow this is the best video description of how our Trenton NJ girl fell. Too bad this happened and even sadder she didn't make the 4x400 either

Excellent review and video replay. Respectfully however, please do not draw suggestive private body part on your screen

To change the Olympic selection rules away from sheer performance due to A. Mu's incident, plays too much into a bias. A. Mu knew she was going down into a fall. It should have been instinctive to her to have switched quickly into salvage mode i.e. how best to recovered quickly from the fall and rejoined the race. Past track and field athletes have done so.

Great analysis and spot on that it was basically Athing's fault for her own spatial awareness. I feel the most for Sage Hurta-Klecker who had the Olympic Standard already and was one of the favorites, but got caught up in the wreckage because Athing had zero race experience this year.

I feel sorry for her misfortune yet it's also something that is part of the racing experience that mishap might befall a contestant or contestants during the race. I saw no evidence that any other run attempted to sabotage Athing Mu during the race and it's uncalled for to besmirch other runners characters to put pressure on the US Olympic Committee to find away to give Athing Mu a spot on this years Olympic Team.

She didn't do anything to be put on the team .....two races all season ....what have you done for me lately

The meritocracy of our Olympic trials is literally the fairest and most just rule in the USA. It needs to stay, otherwise we resort to tyrants getting a spot even though they are not the best for the job. ... I posit, that based on Mu's performance this season, Akins would have beat her. I'm not even sure Mu would be the top three. She just didn't seem to have the grit the others had. Perhaps running now is just a check for her to maintain a great lifestyle. ... Anyways, Farah fell, got back up and won. Mu didn't even try to win or place. She didn't have a champion mindset on that race day.

Why are they all so close together in the first place?

She tried to elbow the girl on the left and it didn't work

When your listening to your coach and take these risk and then say it’s a strategy is senseless. Your missing out on Paris: her legs are far to long and stride is far to high to be trying to pull these unsafe maneuvers during critical moments of a race. Especially coming around a turn, come on now Mu we need you in Paris. Then you stayed there for it’s devastating but get up. Learn from this and come back harder you got this

I find the US trials system a bit bizarre, and I speak as a Brit and a Hodgkinson fan. I don't claim to know what the best selection system is and I'm sure there isn't a perfect one, but this is a terrible one. Even forgetting about the fall thing, you could be the best athlete in every race all year, have an off day at the trials and not go. Bad for the athlete, bad for the US, bad for the fans who want to see the best of the best up against each other. (And no I'm not necessarily suggesting that that assessment describes Mu this year, it's just an observation on the selection system.) Also many US athletes have spoken about having to taper and peak for the trials and then try to do the same a few weeks later for the Olympics. It's ridiculous. Regarding the specifics of the video your analysis seems pretty sound I must admit.

Yes I believe what the coach is saying I believe athing mu shall be one of the sup on the team or athing mu on the relay she is important or a special for the USA Olympic team I don't care if it is 1st 2nd 3rd this Olympic has many upset

good arrow usage. I learnt a lot.

Mu has an issue with her peripheral vision. Just look at how far she stays off the curb normally. She definitely needs to acknowledge this and learn turning her head to see who is next to her and how far away.

Mu is a phenomenal runner. Yet, i am not surprised this happened. I have seen her stumble a couple of times in the past. She is not the greatest tactical runner, i.e. long stride, mediocre kick etc. She will be back, and it will be interesting to see if she and her coach fix her race strategy.

Very poor analysis for no athlete Rubbish

The appeal made me lose all respect for her and Kersee.

Do all the dissecting you want if trying to figure out who to blame is your point. For me it is sad that I won't be seeing a beautiful, talented young athlete in the Olympics. I have rewatched her two gold medal events in the 2020/1 Olympics. She was inspiring then and I believe she will inspire again. Best wishes to you, Ms Mu.

She tried to cut for the corner & lead.She needs new coach.😢If she ran more during the season she would have got in on ranking.

Please Cj stroud

Love your content but if you’re talking about track please call it spikes not cleats.

can she still go to the Diamond League Championship...if she can I hope she shows the world how truly good she is...get w\WL or even challenge WR?

I feel like after she knew she fell maybe she was more concerned with the girls around her’s saftey than her next Olympic run, so she maybe gave up when she knew she fell

The greatest champions are often the worst losers. It seems like before she even hit the track she decided she couldn’t win and gave up. Super disappointing. We all wanted to see her superhuman effort to come back into contention. Sad!

Top 3 runners who cross the finish the race should be on the team. Simple as that! Runners need to be conscious of where they are in the pack and try to avoid collisions during the race. That is just part of the sport! It unfortunately, just wasn't her time to go to the olympics. Maybe she will learn something from this like staying out of the pack, maybe on the outside of the pack, or perhaps behind the pack or................if she is one of the best athletes, as she claims to be.................stay in front of the pack.............after all if you are considered the best, if not one of the best, then you should be able to stay ahead of the pack!

She will be alright. Sometime it takes a beast to bring a monster out of a dog

She needs to signal left ◀

In short she's not performed well for this season...

BS

When I posted basically the same position on other videos, the instant outrage from the Mu cult was surprising.

The fact is Mu is the only runner in that moment that suddenly moved off her line by trying to move left very suddenly. Every other runner maintained their line. She did this in the last trials and tripped the runner behind her. This is a cardinal sin in cycling and brought her undone here.