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The American Olympic champion Athing Mu-Nikolayev returns to the Prefontaine Classic, seeking joy and renewal after injury and heartbreak.
Former Olympic champion Athing Mu will be stepping back onto the storied oval of Hayward Field on Saturday afternoon, determined to rediscover something she believes is more precious than gold medals or world records: joy.
The 23-year-old half-miler, whose career has already spanned Olympic triumphs and crushing setbacks, returns to the Prefontaine Classic for her first major 800-meter race since a painful fall cost her a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Of course, every year we’re shooting for the World Championships or the Olympic championships,” Mu-Nikolayev said as per The Orange County Registar.
“Of course, there’s nothing more that I want than gold. But I think most importantly this year, it’s just me regaining my joy back and finding my love for the sport.”
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The race will be the first measuring stick of the season for Mu-Nikolayev, who has battled injuries and the lingering sting of disappointment.
Last June, she tripped and fell during the U.S. Olympic Trials final, a surreal moment that ended with her tearing her race bib into scraps as she walked off the track.
Falling, Faith and Finding Herself Again
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Her longtime coach Bobby Kersee, who has guided her since she turned professional as a teenager, believes that moment—and how she responded—will ultimately shape her more than any medal ever could.
“My philosophy of coaching is to put her right back in it, right away,” Kersee said.
“And she tolerated me as a coach. It was tough for me and it was tough for her.”
Rather than retreat, Mu-Nikolayev went to Paris with Kersee’s training group to confront her disappointment.
In the shadows of the Stade de France, she worked to process the Trials heartbreak and began the slow climb back to confidence.
“The worst thing to do when you’re depressed is to remove yourself, and alienate yourself and crawl up and let frustration get the best of you,” Kersee said.
“You have to get back as fast as you can so you can get over that point.”
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Mu-Nikolayev is returning to a field stacked with talent. Saturday’s lineup includes Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma and Kenya’s Mary Moraa, both Olympic medalists, as well as former Oregon standout Raevyn Rogers and Scotland’s Jemma Reekie.
Still, the woman who once looked poised to break the oldest women’s track world record says her focus now is not on times but on peace.
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