Switzerland’s Audrey Werro captured the European women’s 800m gold medal by holding off Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson in a classic final at the European Athletics Championships, according to race reports. Werro controlled the race from the front, crossing the finish line in a championship record time of 1:54.81, as reported by outlets such as The Guardian.
Hodgkinson, who entered the race aiming for a European Championship hat-trick following victories in 2022 and 2024, crossed just behind in 1:55.01 to claim the silver medal. Femke Broeders-Bol rounded out the podium to secure the bronze medal in 1:55.54, capping off an intensely anticipated showdown among the discipline’s elite runners.
“I am really happy with this medal after a crazy 24 hours,” Werro said after the race, noting that she had beaten Hodgkinson by roughly three metres. Hodgkinson acknowledged the fierce competition, remarking that it was a great race and adding that she was sure there would be many more battles ahead, though she admitted she would have preferred the gold.
An Unprecedented Lineup and High Stakes
The buildup to the 800m final drew immense speculation from athletics analysts and fans alike, given that the three fastest women in the world this year met on the track for the very first time. Hodgkinson entered the race as the reigning Paris Olympic champion running on home turf, having also broken the world indoor record and secured the world indoor title in March.
However, the competitive landscape shifted earlier in the summer. Werro handed Hodgkinson a comprehensive defeat in Stockholm in June, establishing herself as a major contender and logging several of the fastest times in history over the distance. Werro achieved this top-tier form despite nursing a cut on her knee following a heavy fall in the semi-finals.
Adding a major tactical curveball to the field was Broeders-Bol, the double world 400m hurdles champion holding an indoor world record of 49.17 seconds for the 400m. Broeders-Bol decided to test her endurance in an 800m championship final following encouragement from World Athletics president Sebastian Coe, who had suggested years prior that she possessed the natural attributes of a 800m runner.
Championship Records and Broader Track Results
The same evening at Alexander Stadium featured several other notable performances across the championship schedule. Norway’s Karsten Warholm secured gold in the men’s 400m hurdles with a championship record time of 46.63 seconds, navigating a windy night and a slow track to claim his fourth European title in the event. Germany’s Emil Agyekum finished over a second behind to take silver, while Turkey’s Ismail Nezir secured bronze.
In distance events, Italy’s Nadia Battocletti added the European 10,000m title to her existing 5,000m crown. Battocletti pulled away with a 28-second sprint over the final 200m to win in 31:41.20, finishing four seconds ahead of the Netherlands’ Maureen Koster, with Belgium’s Jana Van Lent taking bronze.
Meanwhile, the opening day of the women’s heptathlon brought early struggles for Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson. The 33-year-old, who won bronze at the world championships the previous year, competed while hampered by a calf niggle that had previously forced her out of the Commonwealth Games. Johnson-Thompson recorded 14 seconds flat in the 100m hurdles—her slowest ever time in a major championship—and ended the first day in 16th place with 3,644 points after a 1.83m high jump clearance, a 12.79m shot put, and a 24.46-second finish in the 200m.
Athletes and officials will look ahead to the remaining events of the European Athletics Championships as competition continues at Alexander Stadium. Readers seeking further updates can follow official announcements and results via the World Athletics platform.
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