Coming into Monday, the women's 800-meter final was considered by many to be a foregone conclusion.
With Athing Mu — the reigning Olympic champion and one of the sport's more dominant athletes — in the mix, the Hayward Field crowd of 12,180 ticketed spectators was abuzz with anticipation. Who, if anybody, would challenge the 22-year-old star?
After a shocking turn of events, though, Mu and several other top runners were knocked out of contention, and the final lap devolved into a battle between three runners vying for their first-ever Olympic berth.
In a thrilling finish, Nia Akins won in a personal best of 1 minute, 57.36 seconds. She was closely followed by Allie Wilson, who took second in a season-best time of 1:58.32. Juliette Whittaker took third with a personal-best of 1:58.45.
All three athletes eclipsed the Olympic standard of 1:59.30.
With 200 meters to go, Akins pulled away from the lead pack and was never challenged after that.
"I honestly wasn't even thinking. I just kind of, like, felt it," Akins said of her late move. "I just kind of felt it in my spirit to go for it. ... I've never moved there before. So I was like, 'Well, I hope that works.' We were able to pull it off."
Mu tripped and fell near the 250-meter mark after she got tangled up with Raevyn Rogers. She got up and attempted to reconnect with the lead pack, but was too far behind. Mu finished last in 2:19.69 and left the track in tears.
Rogers, a former Oregon star who captured six NCAA titles with the Ducks, finished seventh in 2:01.12. She earned the bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics and was expected to be in contention for a trip to Paris.
Akins, 25, was a two-time NCAA runner-up in the 800 while competing at the University of Pennsylvania. She signed a professional contract with Brooks Beast Track Club in 2020 and experienced a breakout season in 2023. Akins captured both the U.S. outdoor and indoor national titles that year. Mu did not compete in either race.
Prior to the start of the trials, Akins sat at No. 7 in the world rankings.
"I don't think it's even really settled in yet, to be honest. ... Making it through the rounds is really tough," Akins said. "There are a lot of people who didn't even make the final who could have."
Wilson, competing for Nike, has had a rather unconventional path to this point. She was competing for Atlanta Track Club until last summer when the organization parted ways with coaches Amy and Andrew Begley. Wilson opted to give up her professional contract and continue training under them after they relocated to Indianapolis.
She ran unsponsored for the remainder of the year before landing a contract with Nike after she qualified for the 2024 World Indoor Championships.
In order to make ends meet during that time, Wilson worked as a nanny while also training full time.
"I trust my coach wholeheartedly and what he's done with me the last few years," Wilson said. "It was scary — it created some obstacles for me. I think indoors was the first piece of validation for me that I did the right thing. Being out here, obviously the competition is so, so amazing that you're always going to question or doubt here and there. But I just tried to continue to believe in everything that we've done up until this point. It's paid off."
Whittaker won NCAA indoor and outdoor 800 titles at Stanford this season. On Monday, she shattered her personal best of 1:59.04 and outlasted Michaela Rose down the stretch to secure the final spot on the U.S. team.
"I'm still very much in shock," Whittaker said. "Like, oh my gosh. I looked up at my family and friends and everyone and was just filled with so much joy."
Jarrid Denney covers high school sports and Oregon State for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at JDenney@salem.gannett.com or on X @jarrid_denney
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