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American middle-distance star, Athing Mu, won the Tokyo Olympic 800m final in stunning fashion. She crossed the finish line in a new American record of 1:55.21. Mu improved upon Ajee Wilson’s 1:55.61 record from the Monaco Diamond League in 2017.

Meanwhile, Great Britain’s, Keely Hodgkinson, broke Kelly Holmes’ 800m national record to take silver in the time of 1:55.88.

American, Raevyn Rogers, clocked a 1:56.81 for bronze. Rogers is the veteran of the three at 24, while Mu and Hodkinson are just 19-years-of-age; it’s a youth movement of sorts.

All eight in the final finished sub-1:59, seven of the eight were sub-1:58.

Mu sprinted the first half of the race clocking a 400m split at 57.90. In an event that typically sees a bigger positive split, the final result is surprising. Hodgkinson was a step back at the 400m mark clocking a split of 58.4, where the chasers were likely thinking that Mu would return to them after 600m – not a chance. Her race was never in doubt.

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