World Athletics Outdoor Championships – News – Mu Gets A Scare, But Advances To 800m Final In Budapest

MU GETS A SCARE, BUT ADVANCES TO 800M FINAL IN BUDAPEST
By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2023 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved – Used with permission.

BUDAPEST (25-Aug) — Reigning world and Olympic 800m champion, Athing Mu of the United States, successfully advanced to her final tonight at the National Athletics Center, but only by dodging a near disaster and making a quick recovery.  

Mu, 21, who competed in the third of three heats, was running comfortably with the pack led by Kenya’s Mary Moraa, last summer’s bronze medalist in Eugene,  as the race approached the bell lap.  Suddenly, South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso tripped and fell hard to the track.  Mu got knocked off balance, teetered out to lane three, and nearly stopped.  Other athletes were affected as well.

“I had to do a little mini-hurdle mid race,” said Jamaica’s Adelle Tracey who was also involved in the incident.  “I was obviously really sad to see Prudence fall because she’s in really great shape, so it’s a real shame.”

Mu was suddenly in seventh place.  Maintaining her composure, she quickly got back in the race and began to work her way back up through the field.  By the time she reached the 600 meter mark, Mu was with the leaders.  She successfully sprinted from there and ended up finishing second to Moraa, 1:58.48 to 1:58.78, with both women claiming the two automatic qualifying spots.

Remarkably, because Moraa had run so fast for the first 400 meters (57.36), the next two finishers –Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi and Jamaica’s Tracey– ran fast enough to get the two time qualifiers as the fastest losers.  Nakaayi, the 2019 world champion, ran 1:58.89 and Tracey ran a personal best 1:58.99.

“I’m so happy,” Tracey told Race Results Weekly, wiping away tears of joy.  “Honestly, I’m just in a little bit of shock.  Obviously, I’ve always wanted to make a global final but to do it in the 800 is a surprise.  It feels really, really good.”

Mu did not speak with the media after her race.

Also advancing to the final were Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson and Jemma Reekie.  Hodgkinson, the silver medalist at both the 2021 Olympics and 2022 World Championships, led the second heat from gun to tape.  She split halfway in 58.48, and finished in 1:58.48.  She got a challenge from the fast-closing Nia Akins in the final 75 meters, but was never in any danger of not advancing.

“It was fine, it was good fun,” a relaxed Hodgkinson told the British press corps.  “I always go out hard and I wanted to…