Watch highlights of the women’s 400m final at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships as USC’s Kaelin Roberts stunned Texas A&M’s Athing Mu to win the gold medal in 50.84 seconds on Saturday’s final day of competition.
Watch Roberts Beat Mu In 400m At NCAA Indoor Championships
Mu came into the meeting as the overwhelming favorite, having dominated her rivals during the early parts of the indoor campaign and qualified as the fastest athlete from the semi-final heats on Friday night.
However, the Texas A&M freshman was unable to get the better of 2019 national champion Roberts, who grabbed the inside advantage early and forced Mu to work harder in the outer lane, which subsequently took a toll on the Aggies star.
The pair ran neck and neck for most of the race and came through the opening 200m at 23.71 seconds.
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However, Roberts held off Mu’s challenge with a strong run around the final bend before breaking away in the final stretch to take the surprising victory.
A disappointed Mu had to settle for second place with a time of 51.03 seconds, which was significantly slower than the 50.52 clocking she entered the final with.
Finishing third overall was Florida freshman Talitha Diggs who won the first section in 51.26 seconds.
Charokee Young of Texas A&M and Jamaica was fourth overall in 51.41 after she took third in the heat won by Roberts, while LSU’s Amber Anning also broke 52-seconds with a fifth-place finish with a time of 51.83.
