When the U.S. track and field team roster for the Paris Olympics was announced on Tuesday, the only real surprise was who didn’t make the roster: Athing Mu.
Although the middle-distance runner did not qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials to defend the 800m title she won at the Tokyo Olympics, she is still considering running in the relay. Instead, one of the biggest names in track and field will miss the 2024 Paris Olympics, which kicks off later this month.
Newsletter Promotion Post
As expected, Noah Lyles, Sha’Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas and Sidney McLaughlin Levrone Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone) are on a USA Track and Field roster of more than 100 athletes. The U.S. team includes four defending Olympic champions: Ryan Crowther (shot put), McLaughlin-Lefron (400m hurdles), Katie Moon (pole vault) and Valarie O Mann (discus).
Quincy Wilson, a 16-year-old high school student from Maryland, performed well in the 400-meter trials, finishing sixth, and the relay pool also included sprinter Christian Coleman.
Two weeks ago, during the finals of the U.S. Olympic Trials, Muin got tangled up and fell on the track, missing out on a chance to advance to the 800-meter team event. She ended up finishing last in the competition. Mu was a key member of the Tokyo Olympics 4x400m relay team that won the gold medal.
Lyles will be the favorite in the 100m and 200m races. He won two events at the world championships in Budapest last summer and helped the United States win the 4x100m title. Kenny Bednarek will also compete in both sprint races.
This will be the Olympic debut for Richardson, the defending 100m world champion. She missed the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for marijuana. Richardson will be the sprinter to beat in Paris.
Karissa Schweizer and Grant Fisher both qualified in the 5,000m and 10,000m. There were some changes during the trials, with Elle St Pierre choosing to focus on the 1500m race and start from scratch with the 5000m race. Parker Valby earned the spot, but the University of Florida runner decided to focus solely on the 10,000-meter race. This allowed Whittni Morgan to qualify for the 5,000m after finishing fifth in the trials. Morgan recovered quickly after undergoing surgery to debridement his patellar tendon in November.
