Mu’s 800m record earns her USATF Athlete of the Week honors

INDIANAPOLIS — Finishing off a remarkable year that has included Olympic gold and Olympic Trials and NCAA titles, Athing Mu (Trenton, New Jersey) earned recognition as the 25th USATF Athlete of the Week award winner for 2021. It is her fourth time to be honored this year. 

Mu, who won the NCAA 400m title for Texas A&M and then followed up with victories at 800m at the Olympic Trials and Olympic Games, bettered her own American record in the 800m to win the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meet at Eugene in 1:55.04, cutting .17 off the record she set in taking gold at Tokyo. 

After a rapid early pace that put her past the 400m mark in 55.5, Mu led at 600m in 1:24.44, which is the sixth-fastest ever U.S. time at that distance, and she finished more than two seconds ahead of her nearest challenger. Her mark, which also bettered her own American U20 record, vaulted her into eighth place on the all-time world performer list and she now has the three fastest times by an American this year. She is No. 2 on the all-time world U20 performer list. 

Other top performances from last week:

• Courtney Frerichs bettered her own American record in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase with an 8:57.77 at the Prefontaine Classic, making her the No. 4 performer on the world all-time list and the first American to break nine minutes in the event. Frerichs set the old AR of 9:00.85 in Monaco in 2018.
• Ryan Crouser twice broke the Diamond League record in the men’s shot put at the Prefontaine Classic, winning with a 23.15m/75-11.5 that ranks as the third best throw in history behind his winning mark at Tokyo and the world record he set at the Olympic Trials.
• Jordan Gray bettered her own American record in the women’s decathlon with a score of 8,246 points at San Mateo, California. Her mark is the second best in history.
• Noah Lyles won the men’s 200m at the Prefontaine Classic in 19.52, the fastest time in the world this year and the third-fastest time in U.S. history.
• Eric Cole bettered his own American masters men’s 50-54 ultra-weight pentathlon record with a score of 5,270 at the USA National Masters Throws Championships in Seattle.

Now in its 20th year, USATF’s Athlete of the Week program is designed to recognize outstanding performers at all levels of the sport. USATF names a new honoree each week when there are high-level competitions and features the athlete on USATF.org. Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week. 

2021 Winners: January 21, KC Lightfoot; January 28, Ryan Crouser; February 4, Bryce Hoppel; February 11, Athing Mu; February 18, Elle Purrier; February 25, Jaylen Slade; March 4, Grant Holloway; March 11, Emmanuel Bor; March 18, Tara Davis; March 25, Emily Sisson; April 1, Tara Davis; April 8, Kenny Selmon; April 15, DeAnna Price; April 22, Athing Mu; April 29, Rudy Winkler; May 6, Trayvon Bromell; May 13, Sha’Carri Richardson; May 20, Athing Mu; May 27, Ryan Crouser; June 3, Maggie Malone; June 10, Trayvon Bromell; June 24, Ryan Crouser; July 1, Sydney McLaughlin; July 21, Maggie Malone; August 25, Athing Mu. 

We welcome your nominations! 

To nominate an athlete for USATF Athlete of the Week, please send a detailed email about his/her performance to communications@usatf.org.
 
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