For the first time in Olympic history, a gold medal was won by a first-time Olympian. A. Mu ran the 800 metres for the women’s team and won gold on Tuesday.
Mu became the first American woman to win the race since the 1968 Games in Mexico City, setting a new national record in the process with her performance of 1:55:21.
A. Mu Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
Mu, 19, was the pre-Games favourite to win a gold medal, and she didn’t disappoint in her first two heats, clocking in at 2:01.10 and 1:58.07, respectively.
One second behind silver medalist Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain (1:55:88) and bronze medalist Raevyn Rogers of the United States (1:56:81) in their Olympic debuts.
In her first season at Texas A&M, Mu broke six collegiate marks and a world record, creating a buzz about her Olympic race even before she took the track in Tokyo. Mu won the 400 and 800 metre events at the New Balance Indoor Nationals and Outdoor Nationals in 2018. Mu turned pro in preparation for the Olympic trials.
The 24-year-old Rogers was second in the 800-meter final at the 2019 World Athletics Championships before collecting bronze in this event. The four-hundred-meter relay competition was won by Rogers as well.
800 Metre Race at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo
Athing Mu, then only 19 years old, ran an incredible 800 metre race at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on Tuesday, making him the second-youngest Olympic champion ever.
Mu broke the previous American record by over a minute, finishing in 1:55.21. She is the first American to win the title in over fifty years.
Madeline Manning, an American, won this competition in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.
Keely Hodgkinson, 19, of Great Britain, set a new British record with her time of 1:55.88 to win silver, and Raevyn Rogers, of the United States, ran a personal best to win bronze with her time of 1:56.81.
Last Words
Mu is the second youngest of seven children; she was the first to be born in the United States, a year after her family emigrated from Sudan. Thanks for reading our article A. Mu Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Continue reading and have a good day.
