Not long ago, Athing Mu was viewed as the future of women’s middle-distance running. At just 19, she won Olympic gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and followed this by winning the 800m title at the 2022 World Championships. Over the following years, she backed it up by lowering her personal best to 1:54.97. Instead, half of the 2026 season is done, and Mu has not raced a single race, raising concerns among fans about her future in track. RunningEmpire expressed these concerns on X.

“Has Athing Mu-Nikolayev quietly walked away from track and field? It’s the question many fans are asking after another season with no races, no competition schedule, and very few public updates from the Olympic champion.”

While there has been no official retirement announcement from Mu or her team, the two-time Olympic gold medalist last appeared at the 2025 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She finished fourth in her 800m semifinal with a time of 1:59.79.  Following her USA Championships semifinal exit, Mu ended her three-year partnership with Bobby Kersee after moving from Los Angeles to Dallas with her husband, Yegor Nikolayev. Since then, she has not publicly announced a new coach or confirmed when she plans to return to competition.

In December 2025, Kersee revealed Mu was still dealing with physical issues during the 2025 season.

“She still had nagging pains here and there. There were still some off-balances or whatever. She wasn’t 100% herself.”

The problems stem back to 2024, when she suffered a hamstring injury that derailed her Olympic defence season. The injury started when Mu was training for the U.S. Olympic Trials in May of 2024. Initially, she was to appear at the Los Angeles Grand Prix, but pulled out due to hamstring tightness. The MRI showed a tear in the hamstring just a week before the Prefontaine Classic.

Athing Mu was forced to sit out for nine months and received treatment, which included PRP injections, before getting back into the game, just before the U.S. Trials. Mu’s Olympic dreams were dashed at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials 800m final.  Around 200 meters into the race, she tripped and fell, finishing last. She missed the chance to defend her Olympic title at the Paris Games.

Her 2025 comeback proved harder than expected, as she failed to find her old rhythm. Mu’s 2025 Prefontaine Classic run of 2:03.44 was far from her 2021-23 form. Her best 800m run of the 2025 season was later at the USA Championships in Eugene with a time of 1:59.79. And now, almost 11 months have passed since her last race. The silence has only deepened questions about her future.

Fans raise alarm over Athing Mu’s career

Mu reached the highest level of the sport before turning 20. But fans have shared their share of doubts about her future career. One such fan commented on Mu’s drive.

“She lacked the passion needed to be the best you can be. I think she is done.”

Another Fan was convinced that she was no longer motivated to achieve.

“She has accomplished a lot in a short window of time. What’s her motivation now? I don’t see her coming back and if she does it won’t be for long.”

But those doubts come after a career filled with achievements that few athletes ever reach. At the Tokyo Olympics, Mu won gold in the women’s 800m with a time of 1:55.21, setting an American record at the time. She also assisted the U.S. team to a gold medal in the 4 x 400m relay. Her dominance also held up after her Olympic success. Mu won the gold medal in the Women’s 800m at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, marking her maiden world championship victory in the race.

Mu demonstrated her prowess against the best in the world in 2023. She won bronze in the 800m at the World Championships in Budapest before producing a historic performance at the Diamond League Final in Eugene, where she ran 1:54.97 to break her own American record. However, behind those achievements was also the growing pressure of becoming one of track and field’s biggest stars at such a young age.

When asked about her 2023 season, Athing Mu noted that she had difficulties with expectations after an Olympic medal. Before the 2023 World Championships, she confessed her unhappiness.

“For sure, I wasn’t really happy to be there. The season leading up to it – not in terms of training, but mentally – I just wasn’t really there.”

While some fans see her prolonged absence as a possible sign that she may be done, others believe there is another explanation. One fan accused her health.

“Probably still injured. As we have seen with plenty of our 800 runners unable to stay healthy long enough. She will be back,”

Another reflected on the expectations that surrounded Mu after her historic rise.

“A few years ago I was optimistic that she would have broken the WR at 800 by now. It’s troubling that she remains so lightly raced in what should be the prime of her career.”

Another fan was hopeful that she would make an eventual comeback

“Certainly seems so. Hopefully just a break to get fully healthy and aligned.”

Those comments show the uncertainty around an athlete who once appeared destined for even greater achievements. But several setbacks, including injuries, limited racing, and the pressure that followed her early success, have slowed that path. Fans will surely want to see her return to her craft for another mesmerizing season of running.