Keely Hodgkinson’s bid for European gold continued as she stormed into the final of the women’s 800m, moments after rival Audrey Werro suffered a dramatic fall that put her place in Friday’s showpiece in doubt. The women’s 800m has become the must-watch event of the championships because of the expected three-way battle between Hodgkinson, Werro, and Dutch newcomer Femke Broeders-Bol.
Werro, who ran the fastest time for 43 years earlier this season, led from the start in the first semi-final, but crashed to the floor on the final bend in Birmingham. The Swiss 22-year-old got back to her feet a moment later and finished the race in last place, grimacing and clutching her chest. The opening semi-final was panning out as expected until Werro suddenly stumbled and fell face-first onto the track with just under 140m left to go.
However, Werro will race against Hodgkinson in a highly anticipated final following a successful appeal. While an earlier angle had appeared to show Werro clipping her own leg before falling, footage later confirmed that France’s Anais Bourgoin had hit Werro’s right foot with her left hand, disrupting her rhythm. There will be 10 athletes in Friday’s final instead of nine, with Lithuanian athlete Gabija Galvydyte, who was also clipped by Werro as she fell, advancing alongside her.
There was less drama in the second semi-final, with Hodgkinson safely crossing the line first in one minute 57.38 seconds. The Olympic champion led from the start and held off the fast-improving Broeders-Bol, a two-time world 400m hurdles champion who chose to switch events this season. Asked if she had seen Werro’s fall before her race, Hodgkinson said TV: “I heard an ‘ooh’ from the crowd which is never a good sign. I don’t know what it looked like.”
Speaking before Werro’s appeal, Hodgkinson added: “Obviously it’s a real shame and I hope she’s OK. I hope she’s in the final tomorrow, that’d be a really exciting race.” Regarding the upcoming competition, she noted: “The excitement makes me excited. I can’t wait to step out there. It brings out the best in me. I love a good challenge. Hopefully it’ll be a good race, a clean race, nobody falling over.”
Hodgkinson will be joined in the final by fellow Briton Jemma Reekie, who capitalized on the chaotic first semi-final to secure her spot. The event remains under the shadow of historical records, specifically Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova’s 800m time of 1:53.28 set in 1983. There have been claims that Kratochvilova’s performance was assisted by the systematic doping regime that existed in her country at the time, an allegation she has strenuously denied.
The current field is exceptionally strong. Hodgkinson has run three of the nine fastest women’s 800m times in history during a superb unbeaten outdoor season. Meanwhile, Werro’s personal best of 1:53.80, set in June, is more than half a second faster than Hodgkinson’s 1:54.33. Broeders-Bol, still largely an unknown in the 800m, impressed at the Paris Diamond League event in June with a time of 1:55.60.
Reflecting on the semi-final performance, former athlete Paula Radcliffe noted: “Femke looked as though she had another gear there but didn’t use it – she didn’t need to expend any more energy.” Regarding the fall, Radcliffe added: “Athletes know if that happens and you go down, you have to get up and finish. That is the only criteria that you’re going to make it through. You could see she was not comfortable.”
The impact of the fall was significant. Former Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford remarked on TV: “It was a hard hit on the floor. These tracks are incredibly hard, especially when they’ve been sun-baked. It really was a difficult thing to watch, and you’re just hoping at that point that there’s no serious injury.”
Before the appeal was finalized, there was considerable confusion among experts. Rutherford initially believed Werro had “kicked her own leg,” while former men’s 1500m world champion Steve Cram suggested she had “tripped herself.” Werro herself remained uncertain immediately after the race, telling TV: “I was feeling great but unfortunately I don’t know, something happened and then I was on the ground.”
Cram later acknowledged the outcome, stating: “The question is whether Werro is OK – it was a really hard fall. But we are getting the final we wanted. That’s one way to look at it.” The successful appeal ensures that fans will be treated to a blockbuster final featuring three of the biggest names in world athletics right now.
The final is set to be a defining moment for the sport, as the athletes prepare to push the boundaries of the 800m discipline. With the inclusion of Werro, the field is set for a high-stakes showdown that will test the endurance and tactical prowess of all ten finalists on the track.
The 24-year-old has won the past two European titles and will be hoping to defend her crown following a successful season that has seen her break the long-standing indoor 800m world record, win her first world title and
The 24-year-old has won the past two European titles and will be hoping to defend her crown following a successful season that has seen her break the long-standing indoor 800m world record, win her first world title and improve her British record outdoors.
An added incentive for Hodgkinson will be the chance to break the longest-standing world record in athletics.
It is Werro, however, who has come closest to breaking that record.
