Keely Hodgkinson, the reigning Olympic champion, was unable to defend her 800-meter European Championship title, finishing second to Switzerland's Audrey Werro in a tightly contested race. Werro set a championship record of 1 minute 54.81 seconds, crossing the finish line just 0.2 seconds ahead of Hodgkinson.
The race in Birmingham, described as the best of the European Championships, saw Werro make a decisive move after 500 meters. Hodgkinson, who had been running close to the pace, could not match Werro's finishing speed. This marks the second time in 10 weeks that Werro has defeated Hodgkinson.
In a post-race interview, Hodgkinson expressed her disappointment, stating, "I think I would be happier with a gold." While acknowledging that any medal is a significant achievement, the 24-year-old admitted she had expected to win and that it "wasn't meant to be." She extended congratulations to Werro, anticipating future competitive clashes.
The rivalry between Hodgkinson and Werro is intensifying. After being beaten twice by Hodgkinson indoors earlier in the season, Werro secured a significant victory in Stockholm in June. In that race, Werro's time of 1:53.98 was the third-fastest in history, and she improved further with a 1:53.80 just a month later. Both runners are reportedly aiming to break the long-standing world record of 1:53.28, set by Jarmila Kratochvilova in the 1980s.
Adding to the drama, Werro had only been cleared to race in the final after an appeal following a trip in her semi-final heat. Despite the setback, Hodgkinson's performance in 2026 has shown a marked improvement, including setting an indoor world record in February. However, Werro's emergence presents a significant challenge to her dominance.