Mu’s 400m record earns her USATF Athlete of the Week honors

INDIANAPOLIS -- For the third time this year Athing Mu (College Station, Texas) has earned recognition as the USATF Athlete of the Week award winner, the 18th honoree for 2021.

Coming into the weekend as holder of the fastest outdoor time in the world in 2021 in the women’s 800m, a 1:57.73 that bettered the existing American U20 record, Mu stepped down to the 400m for the Southeastern Conference Championships on her home track at Texas A&M and promptly bested the previous U.S. U20 record with a 49.84 to clip .05 off the mark set in 2004 by Sanya Richards.

It was the fastest time by an American woman this season and ranks her fifth on the world all-time U20 outdoor performer list. Mu also anchored the A&M 4x400 to a world-leading 3:26.17 with a 49.95 split.

More top performances from the past week:

• JuVaughn Harrison won the SEC men’s high jump with a world outdoor-leading 2.36m/7-8.75 clearance.
• Notre Dame’s Yared Nuguse broke the collegiate record in the men’s 1,500m in the prelims at the ACC Championships with a 3:34.68, also the fastest by an American this year.
• Josette Norris improved her lifetime best by more than 27 seconds to move to No. 10 on the U.S. all-time performer list in the women’s 5,000m with a 14:51.42 at the Track Meet.
• Reigning Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz won the men’s 1,500m at the Track Meet in 3:35.26.
• Ashtin Zamzow-Mahler scored a U.S.-leading 6291 to win the women’s heptathlon at Azusa Pacific.

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.

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.