What is Athing Mu's net worth? Olympic women's 800m gold medalist bagged $750,000 Nike deal
American professional athlete and middle-distance runner Athing Mu bagged the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics women's 800m finals. Mu crossed the finish line in 1:55.21 seconds to capture the title. American Raevyn Rogers took bronze with a time of 1:56.81 Great Britian's Keely Hodgkinson took the silver medal with a time of 1:55.88.
But with whopping amounts of fan favoritism also comes the gigantic responsibility and pressure of performing. Luckily, the 19-year-old might had ample experience with that, being the second youngest of seven siblings.
Born to Sudanese immigrant parents whose names haven't been revealed yet, Mu's illustrious career at the young age of 18 already brags of several records in the U20 races. At the age of 16, she broke records at the indoor U20 600m. She also holds the world record in U20 women's 800m indoors with a commendable time of 1:58:04 seconds. Her 600m time, 1:23:57, is also the second-fastest indoors run time ever, and she also holds the record for being the second-fastest American woman in any condition. Born on June 8, 2002, in Trenton, New Jersey, Mu also holds a British nationality. And even though she keeps her personal life well away from the media spotlight, what might pique everyone's curiosity is Mu's stellar net worth after she bagged a solid Nike deal.
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What is Athing Mu's net worth?
According to Gossipgist.com, Mu's earnings are primarily from her career as a professional track and field athlete. The website reports that as of 2021, Mu's estimated net worth is a neat $1M, thanks to the many contracts, salaries, bonuses and endorsements that she has engaged in. One of Mu's biggest endorsements came in the form of a Nike deal she struck shortly ahead of her June 24 US Olympic Trials, which saw her dressed head to toe in the sportswear brand's outfits.
The website Runner's World reports that at the time, an agent who wasn't part of Mu's deal with Nike had allegedly spilled that the sprinter would be earning a base salary of $500,000 to $750,000 per year, with additional bonuses for the medals she wins and records she sets. And Mu kicked off the deal with an applaudable start, by qualifying for the Olympics in the 800m finishing first at the US Olympic trials held in Eugene, Oregon. Mu ended with a record time of 1:56:07 min, which bagged her the second-fastest runner's spot in American history, as well as the events' record and world-leading time.
Who did Mu compete against in the Olympic finals?
Mu entered Tokyo as the gold medal favorite and set multiple collegiate indoor and outdoor records in the 800m, 400m and 4x400m relay as a freshman at Texas A&M and turned pro shortly before the Olympic trials in June. The 19-year-old dominated the competition from the moment she stepped on the track in Tokyo. Mu posted a time of 2:01.10 in Round 1 and 1:58.07 in the semifinal, finishing first in both heats.
She ran next to Great Britain's Alexandra Bell, a 28-year-old athlete who competed for England at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, and China's Wang Chunyu, 26, who has already made history by becoming the first Chinese runner to enter the Olympic women's 800m finals.
At the post-NCAA press conference, Mu had also expressed interest in nabbing a spot at the 4x400-meter team in the Olympics. “I would love to run on the Olympic 4x4,” she had said, explaining: "I know experience is definitely something that I guess you look for on an Olympic team. But not going to lie, I definitely watched a couple of 4x4 races of Team USA. Watching their splits and everything — and I remember watching Allyson Felix split 48 — I believe this was the 2017 London World Championships. And you know what? I split 48 today. So. Wink wink, Team USA coaches.”