Source: David Ramos / Getty
Athing Mu’s parents left South Sudan and settled in America to provide a better life for their family, and the sacrifice has paid off. Mu, who was born in Trenton, N.J., became the first woman since 1968 to win gold in the 800 meters event at the
Olympics and was joined by another American for the bronze in a spectacular finish.
Athing Mu (pronounced uh-THING-moe) is currently a student at Texas A&M University. The teen track prodigy, standing at 5-foot-10, was considered one of the favorites to medal in the event and has handled the pressure of international fame with ease. While her name continues to be butchered by announcers at the Games, Mu has handled the mistakes with grace and continued to shine.
In the 800 meters final, Mu broke the American record with a time of 1:55.21 and beat her qualifying time of 1:56.07 at the Olympic trials in the process. Mu was joined on the podium by 24-year-old Houston native Raevyn Rogers, who races professionally for Nike.
Reactions to Mu’s gold-medal and record-breaking performance were trending on Twitter. We have a handful of the reactions below.
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Photo: Getty
