Athing Mu becomes first American woman to win 800m Gold

World Athletics championships: Athing Mu slams Hodgkinson to wins the 800m gold at Oregon 2022.

• American Olympic champion Athing Mu added the world 800 metres title to her resume on Sunday as the 20-year-old showed experience beyond her years to cleverly squeeze out Briton Keely Hodgkinson in a breathless neck-and-neck finish.

Mu took off with 300m to go, but Hodgkinson, who finished second to her at the Tokyo Olympics, stayed with her, and as the American drifted slightly wide on the inside lane coming into the home straight, the Briton, also 20, half-squeezed into the space and seemed set to pass.


Mu, on the other hand, slid back across and kept her shoulder and pumping elbow in ahead of her adversary, closing the door in 1:56.30 seconds, with Hodgkinson second in 1:56.38.



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Kenya's Mary Moraa took bronze in 1:56.71, beating Ethiopia's Diribe Welteji, who also ran a personal best of 1:57.02.





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Reuters - Report by Mitch Phillips