Hodgkinson beaten to European gold by rival Werro
Werro Claims European 800m Crown as Hodgkinson Settles for Silver
Ninoda.com – Switzerland's Audrey Werro produced a stunning performance to deny Britain's Keely Hodgkinson a third straight European 800m title during a captivating final in Birmingham. The Swiss athlete crossed the line first, leaving the defending champion to claim silver in what proved to be one of the championship's most thrilling contests. The eagerly awaited showdown featured a compelling trio of contenders: Hodgkinson, 22-year-old Werro, and Dutch competitor Femke Broeders-Bol. All three athletes battled for supremacy before a packed Alexander Stadium audience of 23,000 spectators. Werro, who has recently established herself as the fastest runner since the world record was set four decades ago, maintained her momentum through the closing phases of the race. Despite Hodgkinson receiving enthusiastic encouragement from home supporters, the British athlete could not find a way past her Swiss rival in the final moments. Werro secured her maiden senior international championship victory with a time of one minute 54.81 seconds, setting a new championship record. Hodgkinson finished second in 1:55.01, while Broeders-Bol claimed bronze with a time of 1:55.54.
Mixed emotions," Hodgkinson told the BBC. "I think with that level of competition, any medal is a really good achievement and another one to add to my collection, so I can never be disappointed with that. But I'm defending champion, so I wanted to do that. "I knew it was going to come down to the wire but I really thought I was going to win today. "It wasn't meant to be. I didn't do anything wrong - it was just one of those things."
A Remarkable Recovery for Werro
Werro's victory carried extra significance given the dramatic circumstances surrounding her semi-final appearance. The Swiss runner suffered a painful fall during her earlier race when France's Anais Bourgoin accidentally clipped her right foot with her left hand. Despite clutching her chest in discomfort as she jogged across the finish line, Werro managed to recover in time for the final. This incident resulted in a crowded ten-athlete final, though only three competitors truly looked capable of challenging for gold. Hodgkinson had previously defeated Werro twice during the indoor season, including a victory that secured her first world title. However, the European under-23 champion surprised many when she surged ahead of Hodgkinson at the Stockholm Diamond League earlier this summer, achieving the first sub-1:54 performance since 1983.
British Medal Haul and Future Prospects
Hodgkinson's silver medal marked her twelfth senior international podium finish since earning her first medal as a teenager at the European Indoor Championships half a decade ago. The result came just twenty minutes after compatriot Zharnel Hughes captured silver in the men's 200m event. The British team accumulated ten medals across five days of competition, though they relinquished their position atop the medal table to Italy, who now hold five golds compared to the host nation's four. Broeders-Bol, who finished third, is expected to continue her upward trajectory with the World Championship gold medal on offer next year. The two-time world 400m hurdles champion has shown remarkable improvement since transitioning to the 800m distance this season.
Other British Highlights
Before the 800m final, Hughes led the 200m race coming off the bend but was eventually overtaken by Germany's Owen Ansah, who claimed victory in 19.95 seconds. Hughes, who entered the championships as Europe's fastest runner this year with a season's best of 20.04 seconds set at Alexander Stadium during the British championships in June, finished in 20.16 seconds. Meanwhile, Katarina Johnson-Thompson concluded the opening day of the heptathlon in seventeenth place overall. Despite navigating a challenging season marked by injuries, the British athlete expressed satisfaction with her performance.
"Just happy to be here," Johnson-Thompson said following her heptathlon efforts.
Werro's triumph represents a significant milestone in European athletics, establishing her as a formidable competitor for years to come. Hodgkinson, who captured her first major outdoor championship title at the European Championships in 2022 before successfully defending her crown in Rome two years later, will undoubtedly view this result as motivation for future competitions.
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