Athing Mu may only be 20 years old, but she has made a habit of making history. On Sunday, Mu won the women’s 800 meters in one minute, 56.30 seconds, the first time an American woman has won the race in the world championships.
The final 100 meters of the race were an Olympic rematch. Mu won Olympic gold in 2020 with Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson taking second place in 1:56.38.
The finals of the world championship were a lot closer than they were in Tokyo. Hodgkinson cut inside to start the final 100 meters, but she only held the lead for a moment as Mu retook the lead and sprinted to the finish line.
In third place was Mary Moraa of Kenya, finishing in 1:56.71. Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji, who led the pack going into the final lap, finished fourth in 1:57.02.
Former Oregon Ducks star Raevyn Rogers, struggled down the stretch and finished sixth in 1:58.26.
-- Nik Streng, nstreng@oregonian.com, @NikStreng
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