Athing Mu's Olympic Dream Dashed After Shocking Fall

American runner Athing Mu, the reigning Olympic 800m champion, has been left devastated after a surprising fall during the U.S. Olympic track and field trials brought her hopes of repeating as a champion to an abrupt end.

American runner Athing Mu's Olympic dream was shattered on Monday as a shocking fall during the U.S. Olympic track and field trials dashed her hopes of repeating as an Olympic champion in the 800 meters.

Mu, who was a member of the gold-medal team in the 4x400 at the Tokyo Games, lost her footing after she got tangled in a pack of runners and stumbled to the ground. Despite her valiant efforts, the 22-year-old was unable to catch up with the rest of the group and failed to qualify for an opportunity to defend her title in Paris.

Athing Mu's Olympic Dream Dashed After Shocking Fall

The amount of ground that Mu lost due to the fall proved to be insurmountable, leaving her heartbroken and disappointed. "I'm just really disappointed that I wasn't able to perform to the best of my ability," Mu said after the race. "I felt like I was in good shape, but it just didn't go my way today."

Mu's coach, Bobby Kersee, confirmed that a protest was filed with USA Track and Field, alleging that Mu had been "impeded" by other runners. USA Track and Field officials reviewed footage of the race deep into the evening but ultimately decided to deny the appeal. Details surrounding the decision were not made public.

Athing Mu's Olympic Dream Dashed After Shocking Fall

Typically, protests are granted when there is clear evidence of a runner obstructing another runner. However, incidental contact is considered part of normal racing, and the officials determined that Mu's fall was not a result of intentional interference.

Mu was running in the third lane from the rail when she veered inside a little too close to fellow Tokyo Olympian Raevyn Rogers. At one point, the two athlete's feet appeared to get tangled, but Rogers managed to avoid falling to the ground completely.

Athing Mu's Olympic Dream Dashed After Shocking Fall

Kersee added that Mu suffered scrapes and a sprained ankle as a result of the fall. He acknowledged the unforgiving nature of the U.S. system, which awards spots in the Olympics to the top three finishers at the trials but does not make exceptions for past performances or Olympic champions.

"I've coached it, I've preached it, I've watched it," Kersee said. "And here's another indication that regardless of how good we are, we can leave some better athletes home than other countries have. It's part of our American way."

Other nations have contingency plans when it comes to the process for selecting athletes for the Olympics when situations similar to Mu's arise. An athlete's performance over the course of a season or their past Olympics or World Championship results are taken into consideration in certain cases.

However, the U.S. does not currently have any type of safety net built into its selection process. As a result, Mu will be left to watch the Paris Olympics from the sidelines, despite her impressive accomplishments on the international stage.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.