Mu Wins Gold Medal at Tokyo Olympics
Aug 03, 2021 | Track and Field
TOKYO – Aggie professional Athing Mu won the gold medal in the 800m Tuesday with an American record time of 1:55.21 at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium, becoming the first American female to win the 800m in 53 years.
Mu became the first female in program history to obtain an individual medal and the first Aggie, male or female, to win gold in an individual track event and second in any event. Jeneba Tarmoh earned gold at the 2012 London Games as a member of Team USA’s women’s 4x100m. She is the third track & field Aggie to earn a medal at the Tokyo Games following Fred Kerley’s 100m silver medal and Bryce Deadmon’s mixed 4x400m bronze medal.
It's awesome. I feel like I've just accomplished one of my goals. I just wanted to be a medalist. I wasn't really putting gold on that, but as it got closer to the final today, I was like, 'Yeah, we want gold’. It's an accomplishment that I wanted off my list. I am just happy, blessed and excited to be here and took care of this experience as well as I could.Olympic Champion, Athing Mu
Just did it.
— Texas A&M Track & Field/Cross Country (@aggietfxc) August 3, 2021
?? 1:55.21@athiiing | #OlympiansMadeHere
pic.twitter.com/FWXmyrQUL3
The Trenton, New Jersey, native, entered the Tokyo Games as the favorite after obliterating the field at the U.S. Olympic Trials with a meet record and then American junior record time of 1:56.07. Dating back to January 2021, Mu has gone an astonishing 20-1 in individual races ranging from the 400m to 1500m. During that span, including relay races, she set the under-20 indoor 800m world record (1:58.40), eight Texas A&M records and six collegiate records.
The 19-year-old phenom clocked an American record time of 1:55.21 to earn the gold, her time is 10th fastest on the world all-time list. Mu became the first American to win the women’s 800m in 53 years when Madeline Manning did so at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. She is the second track & field member of Team USA to win gold at the Tokyo Games, Valarie Allman claimed the top spot in women’s discus Monday night.
Fellow American Raevyn Rogers finished with bronze at 1:56.81.
Ain't nothing but Athing
— Texas A&M Track & Field/Cross Country (@aggietfxc) August 3, 2021
Mu became the first American to win the 800m gold since 1968.#OlympiansMadeHere pic.twitter.com/Z7F8tdDyCN
Texas A&M Track & Field Gold Medalist
Art Harnden – 1948 Mile Relay (USA)
Walter “Buddy” Davis – 1952 High Jump (USA)
Randy Matson – 1968 Shot Put (USA)
Mike Stulce – 1992 Shot Put (USA)
Randy Barnes – 1996 Shot Put (USA)
Demetrius Pinder – 2012 4x400m (Bahamas)
Jeneba Tarmoh – 2012 4x100m (USA)
Athing Mu – 2020 800m (USA)
Quotables
Athing Mu on…
…her strategy of running from the front:
"I wanted to go early from the front and not let anyone mess up my race plan. I just wanted to do my own thing. It's exactly what I have been doing in all my races. I just go out there and run. Whatever comes is going to come and I'm just going to go with them."
…breaking the USA's national record:
"It feels awesome. I knew it was pretty close but to do that again feels amazing."
