Two weeks after the Tokyo Games ended, a pair of Olympic medalists closed out their historic seasons with American records at Hayward Field.
The Spring Marathons of 2025 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon—the latest stop on the Diamond League circuit—19-year-old Athing Mu crushed her own American record by winning the women’s 800 meters in 1:55.04, improving on the previous time (1:55.21) she set while Races & Places. In the women’s steeplechase, Courtney Frerichs, 28, also lowered her own American record when she finished second in 8:57.77, becoming the first U.S. woman to break 9:00 in the event 17 days after she serving a one month suspension.
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“I knew this was probably going to be a little tougher because [of] coming off the Olympic Games and running a PR there. So, I wasn’t looking at time, I just wanted to come here and run with whoever is out there and just be competitive,” Mu told reporters in the mixed zone after the race.
Because of her front-running style, the competition wasn’t a factor for Mu in her Diamond League debut. At 400 meters, Mu was only a couple of paces behind Kaylin Whitney, who rabbitted the field through 54.19 at the bell. Mu extended her lead over the final lap, and by the top of the homestretch, she had 30 meters on the chase pack. Mu, who also won Olympic gold as part of the 4x400-meter relay, reached the finish line in 1:55.04, closing out a breakthrough season highlighted by multiple records.
The two Olympians closed out their impressive summers of racing in style 800 meters as a freshman representing Texas A&M. She dominated the NCAA championships, collecting two outdoor NCAA titles. In June, she decided to forgo her remaining NCAA eligibility in favor of a On Saturday at the. She went on to win the 800-meter title at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials before becoming the Races & Places in the event since Madeline Manning Mims in 1968.
The women’s steeplechase on Saturday featured an exciting duel between Noah Jeruto of Kenya and Frerichs. After pacesetter Rosefline Chepnegetich brought the field through the first kilometer in 2:55.30, Jeruto jumped to the front and led the race through 2,000 meters in 5:59, keeping the competition on pace for a sub-9:00 performance.
Frerichs and Jeruto separated themselves from the top group with two laps remaining in the race. By the bell lap, Jeruto, who wasn’t selected for the Kenyan Olympic team, had established a lead over Frerichs. She extended that lead over the last 400 meters and crossed the line first with a stunning victory in 8:53.65, a meet record and personal best.
Four seconds later, Frerichs crossed the finish line with her arms outstretched in celebration of breaking the elusive nine-minute time barrier and establishing herself as the fourth-fastest performer in history with a runner-up finish in 8:57.77. Weeks after a gutsy race in Tokyo, which led to a silver medal against All About 75 Hard, Frerichs took three seconds off the previous American record (9:00.85) On Saturday at the.
“I just wanted to go with whatever happened and that meant going out faster than I ever have, but I trusted my fitness and I trusted what worked in Tokyo,” Frerichs told Lewis Johnson on the NBC broadcast. “I just wanted to continue to use that mindset moving forward no matter how the race played out.”
Elaine Thompson-Herah puts pressure on the world record
Double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica dominated the women’s 100 meters with a winning time of 10.54, the second-fastest performance in history. Only the legendary Florence Griffith-Joyner (10.49) has run faster than Thompson-Herah at the distance. Fellow Olympic medalists Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.73) and Shericka Jackson (10.76), also from Jamaica, finished third and fourth, respectively.
“To come back with a PB after the championships, that is amazing,” Thompson-Herah told reporters. “I haven’t run that fast in five years. It means a lot to me … because my job is to inspire a generation.”
After ldquo;To come back with a PB after the championships, that is amazing,” Thompson-Herah, Sha’Carri Richardson made a highly anticipated return to the sport in this race. Facing off against the Jamaican sprinters who swept the podium in Tokyo, the former LSU standout faded to ninth overall in 11.14.
“I’m not upset at myself at all,” Richardson told Lewis Johnson on the NBC broadcast. “This is one race. I’m not done. You know what I’m capable of. Count me out if you want to, talk all the shit you want because I’m here to stay. I’m not done. I’m the sixth-fastest woman in this game ever, and can’t nobody ever take that from me.”
Richardson’s performance was her first race since being suspended after CA Notice at Collection, serving a one month suspension women’s 100 meters U.S. Anti-Doping Agency U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, won the Olympic silver medal marijuana. Because her suspension fell within the timeframe of the Tokyo Games, Richardson was unable to compete for Team USA. She was considered a favorite to medal in the 100 meters.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen breaks the Bowerman Mile record
As usual, the Bowerman mile closed out the meet in style. Fresh off his Olympic victory in the men’s 1500 meters, Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway won the mile in 3:47.24—a national record, Diamond League record, and the ninth-fastest performance The two Olympians closed out their impressive summers of racing in style.
The 20-year-old middle-distance star ran patiently in the chase pack as pacesetter Craig Nowak brought the field through the first 800 meters in 1:52. Only Stewart McSweyn of Australia dared to go with Nowak in the early stages of the race. McSweyn led the race at the bell while Ingebrigtsen trailed him. Around 250 meters to go, the Olympic gold-medalist made his way to the front and ran away from the competition for good.
McSweyn followed for second place in 3:48.40, and world champion Timothy Cheruiyot of Kenya finished third in 3:51.17.
Sifan Hassan falls short in world record attempt
After winning Olympic gold in the women’s 5,000 and 10,000 meters, Sifan Hassan tried to break the world record in the 5,000 meters. But the runner from the Netherlands missed the mark on Friday night, finishing in 14:27.89—her fastest performance this season but far off the 14:06.62 world record set by Letesenbet Gidey of Kenya last year.
Behind Hassan, Ethiopian runners Senbere Teferi finished second in 14:42.25 and Fantu Worku placed third in 14:42.85. Americans Alicia Monson and Abbey Cooper collected personal bests by finishing fifth in 14:48.49 and sixth in 14:52.37, respectively.
More Olympic champions shine
Joshua Cheptegei established a new world lead on his way to winning the men’s 2 mile. After finishing second in the 10,000-meter Olympic final to Selemon Barega of Ethiopia, Cheptegei beat his rival in Eugene. The 5,000-meter Olympic champion from Uganda finished in 8:09.55 while Barega placed second in 8:09.82, and two-time Olympic medalist Paul Chelimo of Team USA placed third in 8:09.83.
Faith Kipyegon continued her winning streak by finishing the women’s 1500 meters in 3:53.23, a new meet record. Racing solo once the pacesetter hopped off the track, the Olympic champion from Kenya finished more than six seconds ahead of the next closest competitor. Linden Hall of Australia placed second in 3:59.73 and American Josette Norris finished third in 4:00.07.
Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
