Aggies Athing Mu, Bryce Deadmon collect gold in USA 4x400 relay wins

As the 2020 Olympic Games draw to a close, the Aggie contingent in Tokyo collected two more gold medals as Athing Mu and Bryce Deadmon helped power Team USA’s 4x400 relays to back-to-back victories. The medals are the sixth and seventh overall for former A&M athletes at the games and the third and fourth golds, including Mu’s second of the week. 

Early Saturday morning, Mu followed her Tuesday gold in the 800m by anchoring the USA women’s 4x400 relay to a dominant win and a time of 3:16.85.

The Texas A&M freshman phenom drew the last leg among a group of elite women Olympians, including Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad and Allyson Felix.

Despite having a sizable lead when she took the baton, Mu ran the fastest split of the group at 48.32.

Earlier this week, McLaughlin and Muhammad won gold and silver in the women’s 400m hurdles, both eclipsing the previous world record. USA legend Allyson Felix on Friday (early Saturday in Tokyo) became the most decorated American woman in Olympic Track and Field history with a bronze in the open 400m. Hours later, by adding a gold in the 4x400 — the fourth time she’s accomplished that particular feat — Felix passed Carl Lewis for the most Olympic track medals ever by a Team USA athlete, adding an 11th to her collection.

Moments later, Bryce Deadmon, who was a 2021 First Team All-American at A&M in both the indoor and outdoor open 400m and 4x400 relays, joined the USA men’s 4x400 squad that ran 2:55.70 on their way to gold. Deadmon ran a strong third leg in a group that also included Michael Cherry, Michael Norman and Rai Benjamin.

Aggie Deon Lendore ‘15 also ran in the men’s final, posting a 44.3 split in the opening leg for Trinidad & Tobago, who finished eighth.