Audrey Werro Beats Keely Hodgkinson to Win Stockholm 800m Diamond League

Keely Hodgkinson set a new British record in the women’s 800m at the Diamond League meet in Stockholm, but Audrey Werro of Switzerland won in 1:53.98, leaving Hodgkinson second on 1:54.33.

“- Published Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson ran a personal best at the Diamond League in Stockholm but it was not enough to beat Audrey Werro”

BBC

Hodgkinson said, "It was a quick one, a really interesting race," after being overtaken by Werro in the final 100m.

BBC

Werro’s time was described as a Diamond League record, and the race was also framed as the third-fastest women’s 800m time in history, with Jarmila Kratochvila’s 1:53.28 world record from July 1983 still unbeaten.

The BBC also reported that Hodgkinson was competing in her first outdoor 800m race of the season and that American Roisin Willis finished third in 1:57.56.

Elsewhere at the same meet, the BBC said there was a shock for Armand Duplantis as the Swedish pole vault star suffered his first Diamond League defeat in 40 events.

Hodgkinson, the Olympic champion, described her mindset after Werro went off, saying, "When Audrey went off I was like 'just chill', but massive respect to her."

The Guardian reported that Hodgkinson insisted the sting of defeat would help her take down Kratochvilova’s record, quoting her: "I’ve mentioned the world record, and, to get down to the times that we’re talking about, you can’t do it by yourself."

European Athletics

The Guardian also said Hodgkinson had been working on her 400m speed and 1500m stamina rather than specific 800m work, and that would now change as she aimed to break the world record in the London Diamond League in July.

Sky Sports added that Hodgkinson had been stunned into second place by Werro despite a British record time of 1:54.33, and it noted the Swiss runner finished first in 1:53.98.

In the men’s pole vault, Sky Sports said Armand Duplantis suffered a shock loss to Kurtis Marschall after he failed to clear 6.05m, ending a winning streak described as 40 events.

Hodgkinson said the result was still an early step toward her larger target, telling reporters, "It’s still very early," and that it was "good to have a run in your legs because you can learn what you can do better."

“Keely Hodgkinson Brought Back to Earth as She Tastes Rare 800m Defeat Olympics 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson’s dream of staying unbeaten the whole season over the distance went up in smoke as soon as she expressed it after a defeat in Stockholm on Sunday”

Pulse Sports Kenya

The BBC reported that Hodgkinson plans to compete over 800m in Eugene before the Diamond League meeting in London on 18 July, while also noting she smashed the world indoor record in February.

The Guardian said Hodgkinson aimed to break the world record in the London Diamond League in July, and it described the race as a thriller in which pacemakers took them through halfway in 55.54.

For Werro, worldathletics.org said she was "in great shape" and that it was "not my main goal to follow the pacemaker," after winning in 1:53.98 and moving to third on the world all-time list.

In the same Stockholm programme, the BBC said the men’s 800m was won by America’s Cooper Lutkenhaus in 1:42.70, while the women’s 100m saw Amy Hunt run 10.97 seconds to finish second to Melissa Jefferson-Wooden.