Olympian Athing Mu headlining the 400m at the LA Grand Prix despite being removed from the roster hours ago

US track athlete Athing Mu has reappeared on the 400m roster of the 2024 USATF LA Grand Prix. She will be seen in contention with Mary Moraa and defending champion Marileidy Paulino on the track over the weekend (May 17-18).

Athing Mu, 21, is gifted with track prowess. At just 19 years of age, she swept the 800m title at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and anchored the 4x100m relay to the silver podium.

Her 800m win broke the 53-year-old Olympic medal drought held by the US since the 1968 Summer Olympics. Not only that, she also lowered the American record and became the youngest American athlete to win an individual medal since the 1964 Tokyo Olympics saw Wyomia Tyus do it last.

At the 2022 World Championships, Athing Mu soared to the 800m victory but failed to repeat the feat in the 2023 World Championships. However, coming into 2024, the Olympic year, Mu is ready to give a preview of how her performances will look at the Paris Olympics.

According to the official page of the LA Grand Prix, Mu will share the 400m field with Mary Moraa and Marileidy Paulino this time. However, her name was absent from the list hours ago after people spotted it initially on the roster.

In the women's 200m, Sydney Mclaughlin will pitch up alongside Gabby Thomas and Abby Steiner, whereas Dalilah Muhammad and Cockrell will headline the 400m hurdles line-up. Powerhouse sprinters like Marie Josee Ta Lou, Twanisha Terry, and Gabby Thomas will vie for 100m.

Athing Mu believes that 800m will give her the Paris Olympic win

In an interview with Runner's World, Athing Mu confirmed vying for the 800m title, for the second time at the Olympics. She said:

"I’ve always been a diverse athlete. So being able to go down and go back up has always been part of what I do. Being able to have both speed and strength I think is perfect for the 800.”

In the Runner's World interview, speaking of having a penchant for non-athletic projects, Mu shared that drifting away from intense training sessions helps her explore new sides.

"I think whenever I’m interested in something, it’s because I have no idea what it’s about. That makes it a bit more fun for me because it’s like I’m discovering something new, and I’m testing new waters, and I don’t know what’s going to come out of it."