Athing Mu College

Last Modified May 31, 2024 14:43 IST
Athing Mu College
Athing Mu (Source: Getty Images)


The 2021 Bowerman Award winner, Athing Mu, is the youngest woman to win Olympic and World titles before the age of 20. With a time of 1:23.57 in the indoor 600 meters in 2019, 16-year-old Mu broke the world U20 record and set the third fastest indoor record ever. She was born on June 8, 2002.


Mu became the first American woman to win an 800-meter event at the 2022 Eugene World Championship and bronze at the 2023 Budapest World Championship. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she also won gold in the 800-meter event and the 4x400 relay, marking the first time in 53 years that a woman had won an Olympic gold medal in that discipline.


What college did Athing Mu go to?

Athing Mu attended Texas A&M University, but she dropped out of college three years early and turned professional in the mid-2021.


Mu made history in 2021 during her one and only season at Texas A&M. Six all-time collegiate records were set by the rookie, who also set 11 all-time top-12 marks. She also holds the individual collegiate records for the indoor 600 meters (1:25.80), indoor 800 meters (1:58.40), outdoor 400 meters (49.57), and outdoor 800 meters (1:57.73).


She was a three-time NCAA champion in the 400-meter outdoor event and a member of the winning 4x400-meter relay team in both the indoor and outdoor events when she concluded her season as a four-time First Team All-American. During the NCAA Championships, she scored 12.5 points indoors and 12.5 outdoors. The speedster also won the three SEC titles in the 4x400m , outdoor 400m, and indoor 800m.


Athing Mu’s college achievements are as follows:


YearEventPerfor.DateAchievements
2019Indoor 600m1:23.572/24/19American Record
2021Outdoor 800m1:55.048/21/21American Record, U-20 Record, #1
2021U-20 Indoor 800m1:58.402/27/21American Record
2021U-20 Outdoor 400m49.576/12/21American Record, #1 Collegiate, #1 TAMU
2021Outdoor 4x400m3:22.346/12/21#1 Collegiate, #1 TAMU, First Team AA
2021Indoor 600m1:25.801/23/21#1 Collegiate, #1 TAMU
2021Indoor 800m1:58.402/25/21#1 Collegiate, #1 TAMU, First Team AA
2021Indoor 4x400m3:26.272/13/21#1 Collegiate, #1 TAMU
2021Outdoor 800m1:57.734/17/21#1 Collegiate, #1 TAMU
2021Outdoor 400m49.685/29/21#2 Collegiate
2021Indoor 400m50.522/6/21#4 Collegiate, #1 TAMU
2021Outdoor 400m49.845/13/21#5 Collegiate
2021Indoor 800m2:01.071/16/21#7 Collegiate
2021Outdoor 400m50.045/12/21#8 Collegiate
2021Outdoor 1500m4:16.064/3/21#1 TAMU
2021Indoor 4x400m3:26.683/13/21#2 TAMU
2021Outdoor 4x400m3:25.843/29/21#3 TAMU
2021Outdoor 4x400m3:26.734/10/21#4 TAMU
2021Outdoor 400m49.576/12/21First Team All-American
2021Indoor 400m51.032/6/21First Team All-American
2021Indoor 4x400m3:26.682/13/21First Team All-American
2021Outdoor 400m49.685/29/21NCAA Outdoor West Regionals, 1st
2021Outdoor 4x400m3:25.845/29/21NCAA Outdoor West Regionals, 1st
2021Outdoor 400m49.845/13/21SEC All-Conference, 1st
2021Outdoor 4x400m3:26.175/13/21SEC All-Conference, 1st
2021Indoor 800m1:58.402/27/21SEC All-Conference, 1st


Where did Athing Mu go to school?

Athing Mu went to Trenton Central High School, graduating in 2020. However, she did not take part in athletics at her school but rather at the Trenton Track Club. She was trained by Alfonso Jennings.


Track and Field News named Mu the 2020 National High School Indoor Athlete of the Year, ranking him as the top recruit of the 2020 class. She won the USATF Indoor Championship in 2019 with a time of 1:23.57, the second-fastest indoor 600-meter mark in history.


Mu won the 800m titles at the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships (2:05.59) and U20 Pan-American Championships (2:05.50) in the 2019 before placing fourth in the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a personal best time of 2:01.17.


Mu’s personal best’s at the Trenton Track Club is as follows:


EventPerformance
200m23.63
400m51.98
600m 1:23.57
800m2:01.17
1500m4:33.04

FAQ's On Athing Mu College

A. Athing Mu attended Texas A&M University but left early to turn professional in mid-2021.

A. Athing Mu graduated from Trenton Central High School in 2020 but trained with the Trenton Track Club.

A. Yes, Athing Mu won the 2021 Bowerman Award.

A. Athing Mu won gold in the 800m and the 4x400m relay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

A. Athing Mu’s personal best in the 800 meters is 1:54.97, set on September 17, 2023, at Hayward Field, Eugene.

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