Aggravated Athing Mu plotting Mary Moraa's second defeat in quick succession

Rivalry reignites as Athing Mu seeks redemption against Mary Moraa in a thrilling 800m showdown at Lausanne’s Diamond League.

Former Olympic champion Athing Mu is set to make a dramatic return to the track, determined to regain her dominance in the 800m as she races in the Wanda Diamond League at the Athletissima meeting in Lausanne on August 22nd.

After a disappointing performance at the U.S. Olympic trials, where a fall cost her the chance to defend her Olympic title in Paris, the 22-year-old American sensation is now focused on a different prize—defeating her formidable rival, Mary Moraa, for the second time in quick succession.

The Lausanne meeting promises to be a thrilling encounter, especially in the women’s 800m, where Mu will face off against Moraa, the Kenyan bronze medallist from the Tokyo Olympics.

Mu’s fans are eagerly awaiting this clash, hoping to see their star athlete bounce back from the setbacks that have marred her 2024 season.

At the start of the year, she was nursing a hamstring injury that kept her out of competition for several months.

Despite this, she managed to deliver strong performances in the preliminaries and semifinals at the trials, finishing third in the former and winning the latter.

However, in the final, disaster struck as Mu stumbled mid-race, a fall that dashed her hopes of making it to Paris.

She finished ninth and immediately appealed to have the race re-run, but the U.S. Track and Field (USATF) governing body rejected her appeal, leaving her out of the Olympic squad.

This setback marked a rare low point in a career that has been marked by rapid success.

Mu burst onto the international scene as a teenager, making history at the Tokyo Olympics by becoming the youngest woman to win an individual track and field title.

Her gold medal performance, clocking 1:55.21 in the 800m established her as a force to be reckoned with on the global stage.

Following her Olympic triumph, Mu continued to impress, despite racing sparingly after joining forces with renowned coach Bobby Kersee in 2022.

Under Kersee’s guidance, she won the 800m at the 2022 World Championships and took silver at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, where she was narrowly beaten by Moraa.

Mu rounded off her 2023 season with a victory at the Prefontaine Classic, the Diamond League Meeting final, setting the stage for a highly anticipated 2024 campaign.

However, the hamstring injury at the start of the year and the subsequent mishap at the U.S. trials have kept Mu from reaching her full potential this season.

Now Mu is channeling her energy into the Diamond League where she aims to reassert her dominance.

The Athletissima meeting in Lausanne presents the perfect opportunity for Mu to exact revenge on Moraa, who has become one of her fiercest competitors.

With both athletes in top form, the race is set to be a showcase of elite middle-distance running.

Apart from Moraa and Mu, other athletes confirmed for the women's 800m in Lausanne include Briton Jemma Reekie, as well as the Swiss athletes Rachel Pellaud and Audrey Werro.