Athing Mu at the 126th Penn Relays at Franklin Field | Photo by Kevin Morris
Athing Mu at the 126th Penn Relays at Franklin Field | Photo by Kevin Morris

20-year-old Mu the favorite to break 19-year-old world record

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The 2023 Millrose Games Women’s 600m features a stacked field including World Champion and Olympic gold medalist Athing Mu.

The 800m American record holder ran the second-fastest 600m ever when she was just 16, running a tenth of a second slower than Olga Kotlyarova’s 1:23.44 world record.

Mu grew up 90 minutes from The Armory, the home of the Millrose Games. She has run nearly two dozen races at the Armory Track since 2017, according to her World Athletics profile. 

She also hasn’t lost a race since March 2021. 

“We are delighted to welcome Athing back to the track she grew up on,” Millrose Games meet director Ray Flynn said.

Mu is the heavy favorite to win but she should expect a strong challenge from the rest of the field, which includes world silver medalist hurdler Shamier Little. Little ran a world lead of 1:24 last weekend at the Arkansas Invitational, which makes her the seventh-fastest woman ever at the 600m.

Also in the race is Jamaican 800m record holder and two-time Olympian Natoya Goule. Goule has run 1:25 for 600, making her the 12th-fastest 600m performer all-time.

With two other top-12 all-time 600m performers in the field, it’s not out of the question for Mu to go out strong and attempt to break Kotlyarova’s 2004 world record.

Outdoor 600m high school national record holder Sophia Gorriaran is also entered in the race. Gorriaran has run 1:25 outdoors, and with a world-class field to pull her along, it’s likely she’ll improve on her 1:27 indoor personal best.

USATF 800m runner-up Olivia Baker rounds out the five-person 600m field. Expect this race to be one of the most electric at the 115th edition of the Millrose Games.

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Picture of Cole Pressler

Cole Pressler

Cole Pressler is a journalism student at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where he competes for the Cal Poly Distance Club. When he's not writing or running, he's planning out his class schedule three quarters ahead.
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