The American middle-distance star Athing Mu-Nikolayev, who has not contested an 800m race in nearly a year, is set to make her return at the 50th Prefontaine Classic this Saturday at Hayward Field.
And despite a challenging season, Mu-Nikolayev made it clear during Diamond League pre-race interview.
“It’s not going to be a slow race!”
For the 23-year-old Olympic and world champion, Hayward Field is a track filled with memories. It’s where she broke the NCAA 400m record in 2021, made her first Olympic team, clinched her world title in 2022, and shattered the American 800m record with a time of 1:54.97 in 2023. But her most recent chapter there, at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, didn’t go according to script.
Mu-Nikolayev suffered a torn hamstring just six weeks before the trials. Then, in a heartbreaking turn during the 800m final in Eugene, a collision with Raevyn Rogers sent her to the track just 200 meters into the race. Though she courageously got back on her feet to finish ninth, her Olympic title defense dream ended that day.
Rather than retreat from the sport, Mu-Nikolayev stayed close to the action. She traveled to Paris with her training group during the Games and, just miles from the Stade de France, processed what might have been.
The months since have brought personal milestones and quiet rebuilding. A month after the Olympics, Mu-Nikolayev announced her engagement to Russian middle-distance runner Yegor Nikolayev. The pair married in March, and Mu-Nikolayev eased back into racing with low-key 1500m wins in April and May, plus a clever 5000m run used as a 3000m training effort.
Now, the Prefontaine Classic marks her first elite 800m since July 2023. Facing a loaded field that includes reigning world champion Mary Moraa of Kenya and Olympic silver medalist Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia, Mu-Nikolayev is embracing the challenge head-on.
“The lead up to this has been really great for me,” she said.
“It’s obviously not the most convenient for it to be my first 800m in this really fast race, but I’ve kind of gotten over that point. We are 1,000 percent in a great place with training. This is a great field. This is an opportunity for me.”
For Mu-Nikolayev, Saturday is about rediscovering what made her a champion.
“Getting back to kind of the basics of what has made me one of the best 800m runners,” she emphasized.
“Just feeling that on Saturday is the most important thing rather than hitting a specific time.”