Tokyo Olympics: Athing Mu claims gold for the US as China’s Wang Chunyu makes 800m history
- Mu sets a new national record as teenager takes the 800m gold
- Wang finishes fifth in the first appearance from a Chinese in 800m final
USA’s Athing Mu took the 800-metres gold in a national record time of one minute, 55.21 seconds at the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday to confirm her status as the world’s best over the distance at just 19 years old and end the country’s long wait for another 800m triumph.
Mu, a former Youth Olympics silver medallist, led from the starter’s gun until she crossed the line after pulling well clear down the home straight.
“I wasn’t really putting gold on that, but as it got closer to the final today, I was like, ‘Yeah, we want gold’,” Mu said.
“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,” she added.
Keely Hodgkinson, 19, also set a national record as the Briton took silver in a time of 1:55.88.
Raevyn Rogers of the US set a personal best of 1:56.81 as she dipped on the line to snatch the bronze medal away from Britain’s Jemma Reekie.
China’s Wang Chunyu, who finished fifth, made history as she became the first woman from her country to compete in the blue riband 800m final, setting a personal best time of 1:57.00 in the process.
Six of the eight runners improved their best times in a high class final.
