Athing Mu, who won the 800-meter world championship in Eugene, 2022, and the bronze in Budapest, 2023, made history as the first American woman to win a world championship title in the discipline.
Trenton, New Jersey, native, Mu, who won two gold medals at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. After 53 years, in Mexico City in 1968, she became the first female to win a gold medal in the 800-meter event. She is also the youngest woman, then-19, in history to win both the Olympic and world titles in an individual track and field event.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Mu ran 800-meters and beat both the national mark set by Ajee Wilson and the continental under-20 record. She took home yet another gold medal as a member of the women's 4x400-meter relay team.
Mu has the world under-20 record in the women's indoor 800 meters, which she set early in 2021. In the indoor 600 meters in 2019, at the age of 16, she set the world U20 record with a time of 1:23.57, which is the third fastest indoor record ever.
What is Athing Mu’s 800-meter record?
Athing Mu's most recent win at the 2023 Prefontaine Classic, she clocked 1:54.97 in 800-meters, her personal best, on Hayward Field, Eugene, setting a national record.
Mu held off Keely Hodgkinson to create a new American record, following winning bronze at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. Mu joined Hodgkinson after the bell, and the two rapidly picked up the pace before going head-to-head on the home straight. As in the world final in 2022, Mu had Hodgkinson by the shoulder, and Mu won in her fourth start of the 2023 season.
At 1:55.19, Hodgkinson shattered her own British record, placing her ahead of third-place Jamaican record-holder Natoya Goule-Toppin's 1:55.96. The Kenyan world champion, Mary Moraa, finished in fourth place, after she could not keep up with the pace at the front 200 meters from home.
Athing Mu’s 800-meter Progression
Athing Mu’s 800-meter progression is as follows:
| Year | Perfor. | Venue | Date | Track |
| 2015 | 2:10.18 | Norfolk, VA (USA) | 05 AUG 2015 | 800 Metres |
| 2016 | 2:16.17 | Kissimmee, FL (USA) | 13 JUL 2016 | 800 Metres |
| 2017 | 2:07.18 | Kissimmee, FL (USA) | 15 JUL 2017 | 800 Metres |
| 2017 | 2:11.00 | New York, NY (USA) (i) | 17 DEC 2017 | 800 Metres Short |
| 2018 | 2:04.51 | Greensboro, NC (USA) | 15 JUN 2018 | 800 Metres |
| 2018 | 2:06.59 | New York, NY (USA) (i) | 11 MAR 2018 | 800 Metres Short |
| 2019 | 2:01.17 | Drake Stadium, Des Moines, IA (USA) | 28 JUL 2019 | 800 Metres |
| 2019 | 2:03.98 | Winston Salem, NC (USA) (i) | 02 FEB 2019 | 800 Metres Short |
| 2020 | 2:04.08 | JDL Fast Track, Winston Salem, NC (USA) (i) | 08 FEB 2020 | 800 Metres |
| 2020 | 2:04.08 | JDL Fast Track, Winston Salem, NC (USA) (i) | 08 FEB 2020 | 800 Metres Short |
| 2021 | 1:55.04 | Hayward Field, Eugene, OR (USA) | 21 AUG 2021 | 800 Metres |
| 2021 | 1:58.40 | Randal Tyson Indoor Center, Fayetteville, AR (USA) (i) | 27 FEB 2021 | 800 Metres Short |
| 2022 | 1:56.30 | Hayward Field, Eugene, OR (USA) | 24 JUL 2022 | 800 Metres |
| 2023 | 1:54.97 | Hayward Field, Eugene, OR (USA) | 17 SEP 2023 | 800 Metres |
FAQ's On Athing Mu’s 800 meters Time
A. Athing Mu’s personal best in the 800 meters is 1:54.97, setting a national record on September 17, 2023, at Hayward Field, Eugene.
A. Yes, Athing won two gold medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics: first at the 800-meters and then at the 4×400 relay.
A. Athing Mu weighs 124 lbs. (56 kg).
A. Yes, she was the 2022 Eugene world champion in 800-meters with a mark of 1:56.30.
A. No, Athing Mu won bronze at the 2023 Budapest world championship with a mark of 1:56.61. The event was won by Mary Moraa with a mark of 1:56.03.
