"I don't deserve this win any more than anybody else did"- Nia Akins reacts after winning women's 800m at U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials

Nia Akins reflected on her Paris Olympic qualification, suggesting she was lucky to win the 800m final race. She also talked about Athing Mu's fall in the race and how life can be unfair and unpredictable.

The 800m U20 indoor world record holder, Athing Mu, finished on top of the 800m at the 2021 US Track and Field Trials ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. In that race, Akins crashed out, pushing her debut Olympic dreams further away.

At the 2024 US Olympic Trials, Mu faced the same fate as Akins did in 2021, and the latter benefitted from the collapse 200m into the race. Mu tangled up in between her 800m final run and made way for Akins, Allie Wilson, and Juliette Whittaker to take the podium.

After the win, Nia Akins showed her kind-hearted side and called Mu's fate unfair. In a post-race interview, she also opined that she didn't deserve to win the race any more than her rivals.

"I don't deserve this win any more than anybody else did. But it's a blessing. It just happened. So, it's just kind of like life. It's just life. It's just unfair sometimes. And it's a sport. Crazy, unfair, and unpredictable," Akins said (via FloTrack).

Nia Akins didn't qualify for the Tokyo Olympics where Athing Mu earned the gold in the 800m. But the 2023 800m national champion's recent feat put her as the top seed at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Akins was the first Penn University athlete to receive the honor of Penn Relays College Athlete of the Meet in 2019. Her stellar performances at the NCAA level have helped her qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships three times.

Nia Akins - "Nobody can really advise us what to do"

2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field - Day 4

Nia Akins was a nursing student at Penn University and competed at the NCAA collegiate level before turning pro in 2020. But the COVID-19 pandemic cut short her college season.

She learned from her pandemic experience and changed her perspective on life to inspire the next generation of college athletes.

"It’s all about taking it day by day. All you have is right now and today. Do what you can. Be very flexible and creative. Nobody can really advise us what to do. You know your body and what you’re capable of, so you have to work with that," said Akins in an interview with The Sideline Post.

On August 2, 2024, Nia Akins will compete in the women's 800m Round 1 at the 2024 Summer Games.