Audrey Werro Stuns Olympic Champion Hodgkinson to Win European 800m Gold

Switzerland’s Audrey Werro produced a remarkable performance to defeat Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson and win the women’s 800 metres title at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.

The 22-year-old Swiss athlete ran a superb final, pulling away from Hodgkinson during the closing stages to cross the finish line in 1 minute 54.81 seconds.

Hodgkinson, competing in front of a home crowd, finished second in 1:55.01, while Femke Broeders-Bol took the bronze medal in 1:55.54.

Werro’s victory came just one day after she suffered a heavy fall during the semi-finals. She initially finished last after falling, but was reinstated for the final after officials determined that France’s Anais Bourgoin had made contact with her right foot before the incident.

Despite the setback, Werro showed remarkable composure in the final.

She led from the start and maintained her advantage over the final 200 metres before producing a decisive surge down the home straight.

The victory marks Werro’s first senior championship title and adds another major achievement to her rapid rise in international athletics.

Werro has already made headlines this season after running 1:53.80 at the Paris Diamond League on June 28, making her the third-fastest woman ever over 800 metres.

The world record remains 1:53.28, set by Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983.

Hodgkinson, who had hoped to defend her European title, acknowledged the strength of the competition and said winning any medal at such a high level remained a significant achievement.

The result sets up an exciting rematch between Werro and Hodgkinson at next month’s World Ultimate Athletics Championships in Budapest.

Elsewhere at the European Championships, Norway’s Karsten Warholm won his fourth consecutive European title in the 400m hurdles.

He clocked 46.63 seconds, breaking his own championship record.
Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi also claimed his fourth European high jump title after clearing 2.32 metres, adding another major achievement to his decorated career.

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