Tokyo Olympic 800-meter champion Athing Mu-Nikolayev and coach Bobby Kersee have ended their coaching partnership, according to LetsRun.com. The split happened in September when Mu-Nikolayev told Kersee about her choice before he traveled to the World Championships.
After departing her collegiate career early to pursue professional competition, the 23-year-old Mu-Nikolayev spent three years training under Kersee in Los Angeles before recently relocating to Dallas with her husband.
Kersee spoke with LetsRun.com earlier this month about the coaching change. He explained that Mu-Nikolayev got married in March and she and her husband decided to relocate to Dallas together.
“It was just a life decision,” Kersee said in the interview. He added that he expects Mu-Nikolayev to find quality coaching in her new location.
During their time together, Mu-Nikolayev achieved major success on the track. She set the American record in the 800 meters with a time of 1:54.97 in Eugene, Oregon on September 17, 2023. That performance ranks her 11th on the all-time world list for the event.
Read More: Will Athing Mu compete at the World Athletics Championships 2023?
The New Jersey native also posted the fifth-fastest 600-meter time in history when she ran 1:22.74 in Philadelphia on April 30, 2022.
Mu-Nikolayev owns two Olympic gold medals from the 2021 Tokyo Games in the 800 meters and 4×400-meter relay. She won the world championship 800-meter title in 2022 and claimed bronze at the 2023 World Championships.
However, the 2024 season brought unexpected challenges. Mu-Nikolayev failed to qualify for the Olympic team after not reaching the final at the U.S. Olympic Trials. During the 2025 campaign, the former Texas A&M and NCAA standout ran four 800m races, breaking two minutes once, while contesting a pair of 1500m races in Los Angeles.
Kersee expressed no hard feelings about the decision to part ways. He praised Mu-Nikolayev’s talent and work ethic during their partnership.
“I think it was a blessing for me to coach her, I enjoyed coaching her,” Kersee said. “I loved her attitude, I loved her support. There’s nothing whatsoever I regret.”
The veteran coach believes Mu-Nikolayev will be a tough competitor once she returns to full health. He called her “very difficult to beat” because of her talent level.
Mu-Nikolayev has not announced her next coaching plans.
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