"I didn't suspect anything" - Athing Mu explains how her fiance managed to surprise her on engagement day

Athing Mu has revealed that she had no idea about her engagement and was taken by surprise when her boyfriend proposed to her in Malibu. The Tokyo Olympic champion didn't compete at the Paris Olympics and had gone on a mini vacation following the U.S. Trials.

Mu struggled with injuries throughout the last season and only competed twice. She withdrew from several meets early in the season and directly competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Although the 800m Olympic champion looked to get in rhythm during the qualification rounds, she fell on the first lap during the 800m final. The 23-year-old lost a significant amount of time and finished last in 2:19.69s.

Following her heartbreaking exit at the trials, Mu went on a mini-vacation in July to Malibu, California, where she was surprised with a marriage proposal by her boyfriend.

"My fiancée was there with me and we were just hanging out and one of the days, he's like there is a really cool spot that we have, that I saw and it'd be really nice to have like a front yard like this because we are always talking about homes," she said on a podcast with Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo. [48:44 onwards]

The American runner said she wasn't aware about her boyfriend's plans and had thought they were on a normal walk before he knelt and proposed.

“He took me over to that area and he's like check it out and just hang out... he's like alright, I just have one more thing to ask you... I knew that that was going to be the case because when he had first asked me to be his girlfriend, that’s exactly what he asked... I didn’t suspect absolutely anything... because it was a super chilled weekend,” Athing Mu added.

However, the 22-year-old only announced the engagement in September after the conclusion of the Paris Olympics.

---

"I broke down a little bit" - Athing Mu opens up about the heartbreaking 2024 season

World Athletics Championships. Athing Mu wins 800m silver (Image: Getty)

Following unprecedented success in 2021, 2022, and 2023, Athing Mu arguably went through the toughest season of her life in 2024. Persistent issues with her hamstring delayed her season opener before a fall at the Olympic Trials eliminated her from the Olympics.

Speaking about the tough season during the podcast, the 22-year-old said:

"I kind of had a moment where I broke down a little bit and I actually don't know if I can do this... So I decided let me just get myself together because I don't know what the Lord is going to do at the end of the season... and then I decided let's just keep pushing for it." [34:40]

Mu competed at the Holloway Pro Classic in July following the Olympic Trials but another injury meant she had to end her season early. However, the 2022 world champion has now started preparations for the 2025 season.