Athing Mu fights off surging Ajee Wilson, defends 800m title

Athing Mu (right) on her way to running 1:57.16 to win the 2022 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships 800m title. Photo by Bee Trofort-Wilson

By Cassie Cole

The women’s 800 meter is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated events of the upcoming World Athletics Championships, and all eyes will be on Athing Mu. Mu won the 800m national title on Sunday to confirm her ticket to Worlds.

Mu, who finished with a time of 1:57.16, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a growing favorite in the track and field world. Although she is known for holding strong leads ahead of her competitors, Mu faced a bit of pressure in Sunday’s 800m final. At one point, she was passed by second place-finisher Ajee Wilson before Mu took back first place.

“It was a race. Just kept on running, kept on fighting,” said Mu when asked how she felt about being passed. “I’m never mad at someone coming in and pushing me in a race.”

The Toyota USATF Championships also brought a different kind of first for Mu—her first time feeling like she had a target on her back. Mu explained that although she had heard the phrase before, she never felt it until this weekend. With the promise of a deep 800m field at the world championships with runners such as Keely Hodgkinson, Mu may start feeling the target more often.

“Eventually you’re gonna be the one that people are looking out for or ready to attack when it comes to running,” said Mu. “It’s just something I’m just gonna have to get used to.”

Despite a potential increase in pressure, Mu sees her competition as an opportunity for the sport. “We’re gonna be racing to compete, we’re gonna be racing to win,” she said about Worlds during a press conference on Wednesday. “I think [Hodgkinson and I] are bringing along an entire group of 800m women who are all running really fast.”

Mu will be joined on the world team by Wilson and Raevyn Rogers, who finished second and third in the 800m final, respectively. Wilson won the World Indoor Championships 800m earlier this year and finished in 1:57.23 on Sunday, a season’s best. Rogers finished with 1:57.96 and is a former Oregon Duck. Her silhouette is on the tower at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon.

Rogers fell as low as sixth place in the final before a strong kick in the last 100m moved her to third place. This was all part of her plan, however.

“I just knew that I didn’t want to use any energy. I wanted to make sure that I had something to close with, just for my own security,” said Rogers. “I just wanted to make sure that I had enough to close.”

Rogers is excited to make the worlds team and even happier having done so in front of her home crowd.

“That’s a lot of pressure in itself, you know, just being a Duck and competing,” said Rogers. Although she always wants to compete to her best ability, the need is greater when she’s on her former track surrounded by the fans that cheered for her collegiate career. “I want to make everybody proud,” she added.

The crowd will be cheering for all three women when they compete in the 800m rounds next month at the world championships, which will also be held at Hayward Field. Rogers believes that a hometown crowd advantage will be a big boost to Team USA as well as herself.

“We’ll be able to have this whole crowd,” she said. “Having that support to really get the job done.”

For Mu, the pressure will be good but the performance will be even better. Fans won’t be the only ones excited for the women’s 800m World Championship competition—Mu is too.

“This [weekend] is just a little taste of what we’re gonna get in three weeks,” said Mu. “I’m excited to have good races and good competition.”