Athing Mu Narrowly Wins 800m Gold as Team USA Cleans Up with 33 Medals at World Championships

Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Athing Mu

Athing Mu became the first American woman to win the 800m at World Track and Field Championships on Sunday, adding to the U.S.'s record-breaking medal count.

The 20-year-old runner beat out Britain's Keely Hodgkinson to win gold for Team USA. Mu covered the distance in 1 minute and 56.30 seconds — the fastest time in the world this year — with Hodgkinson slightly behind her at 1:56.38 after a late charge to the finish line.

Mu's teammate Raevyn Rogers, the 2020 Olympic bronze medalist, was sixth in 1:58.26, while fellow American Ajeé Wilson was eighth in 2:00.19.

Steph Chambers/Getty Athing Mu

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"At the end of the race, golly, I was just happy it was over," Mu said, per The Washington Post. "Today was kind of a rough day for me. I was just happy I could make it to the line and finish the race. Thank God I won gold."

Mu admitted that she struggled during the race, telling the publication, she "just physically wasn't where I would like to be. I just didn't feel my best."

Hodgkinson, who won silver at the Tokyo Olympics last year to Mu's gold, knew it would again be a close competition between the pair.

RELATED: Athing Mu, 19, Becomes First American Woman to Win Olympic Gold in 800M Since 1968

Andy Lyons/Getty Athing Mu

"I knew it would come down to the wire," Hodgkinson said, per the publication. "I just need to find that 1 percent extra, don't I?"

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In Tokyo last year, Mu took home two gold medals and set a new U.S. record in the 800m at 1:55.21. She also ran the anchor leg of the 4x400 relay with Sydney McLaughlin, Allyson Felix and Dalilah Muhammad.

"It's crazy because Tokyo wasn't even a year ago," she said, per The Washington Post. "This whole year-and-a-half for me has gone so fast, and I've gone through so many adjustments. … It was a complete change of everything. It means a lot to me because I know what I've been going through the entire year."

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Mu's victory was part of the U.S.'s stellar performance at World Championships. Team USA won 33 medals including 13 gold medals, according to the team's official website.

No other country took home more than four gold medals or 10 total medals at the event.

Sprinter Noah Lyles, who set a new American record Thursday when he won the men's 200m, celebrated Team USA's big week on Twitter, writing, "NO ONE ON THE CORNER GOT SWAGGER LIKE US!!"

Along with Lyles and Mu's big wins, Felix earned a 20th career world championships medal and 14th gold while taking part in Saturday's preliminary heats of the women's 4x400m while McLaughlin beat her own 400m hurdles record on Friday night.