Keely Hodgkinson advanced to the women’s 800m final at the European Championships following a dramatic opening semi-final where rival Audrey Werro suffered a heavy fall that briefly jeopardized her place in the medal round. According to reporting from the BBC, the 22-year-old Swiss athlete led the race from the start before crashing to the track on the final bend, ultimately finishing last while clutching her chest and grimacing.
Despite the initial setback, race referees advanced both Werro and Lithuania’s Gabija Galvydyte to the final following successful appeals, setting up a 10-athlete showdown at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium. Video footage reviewed by officials showed that France’s Anais Bourgoin had made contact with Werro’s right foot using her left hand, prompting the successful review that restored the favorite to the starting lineup, as Yahoo Sports noted.
In the second semi-final, Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson navigated her heat with significantly less turbulence. She crossed the finish line first with a time of one minute 57.38 seconds, holding off a strong challenge from the Netherlands’ Femke Broeders-Bol, a two-time world 400m hurdles champion who transitioned to the 800m event this season.
The First Semi-Final Incident and Appeals
Audrey Werro entered the European Championships holding the fastest time in the world for the season, having clocked a personal best of 1:53.80 earlier in the year—ranking as the third-fastest of all time. Leading the first semi-final, she faced pressure from Britain’s Jemma Reekie and French record holder Anais Bourgoin before the incident on the final turn.
As Werro hit the track, Lithuania’s Gabija Galvydyte also fell while attempting to evade the fallen runner. Both athletes persevered to finish the race. Werro later explained to the BBC that she deliberately finished the heat despite being heavily winded to preserve her right to appeal. “This is the reason why I finished the race and it’s always important to go until the end, now we will see what happened,” Werro said.
Hodgkinson’s Progress and Pre-Race Reactions
While preparing for her own heat, Hodgkinson remained focused on her lane despite the crowd’s reaction to the first semi-final. Speaking to the BBC, she remarked, “I heard an ‘ooh’ from the crowd which is never a good sign. I don’t know what it looked like.” Before the official appeal was decided, she 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.”
Reflecting on her own performance, the Olympic champion expressed satisfaction with the tactical execution of her heat. She maintained her early lead alongside Broeders-Bol, who admitted that watching the earlier fall made her “extra cautious” during her own race execution.
Lineup and Final Schedule
The successful appeals mean that 10 competitors will line up for Friday’s medal race. Jemma Reekie won her semi-final heat in 1:58.61, accompanied by automatic qualifiers including Anais Bourgoin, Switzerland’s Veronica Vancardo, Italy’s Eloisa Coiro—who set a national record in the first round—Switzerland’s Valentina Rosamilia, and France’s Clara Liberman.
Athletes and spectators will return to Alexander Stadium on Friday for the final race. Official updates, live timing, and results can be followed through the European Athletics official portal.
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