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In one of the quickest women’s 800m races in history, Switzerland’s Audrey Werro shocked Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson to take victory at the BAUHAUS-galan on Sunday (7 June).
The pair won gold and silver respectively at the World Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland, in March, where Hodgkinson prevailed, having also set a new world indoor record of 1:54.87 weeks earlier.
A similar result looked likely in Stockholm as Hodgkinson moved past Werro with 300 metres remaining. But she was unable to shake off the determined Swiss athlete and, with 40 metres to go, Werro began to reel her in.
She held her form to cross the line in 1:53.98.
It was the first time an athlete had broken 1:54 since 1983. The performance was the third fastest in history, a Diamond League record, a meeting record, a Swiss record and the world lead.
“I still need to process it – I’m still in shock at this performance! Today I was in great shape. I was ready mentally and physically, so it was a good day for me,” said Werro.
“It was not my main goal to follow the pacemaker, but the race unfolded that way, so I stayed just behind her. When the pacemakers dropped out, I decided to follow Keely for as long as possible and gave everything I had.”
Hodgkinson’s second-place time of 1:54.33 was also a British record and moved her to sixth on the all-time list. USA’s Roisin Willis finished third in 1:57.56 as seven athletes broke 1:58, an unprecedented occurrence.
A gracious Hodgkinson said:
“Massive respect to Audrey – that was incredible racing from her. She helped me run faster today and I was glad to have her pushing me throughout the race and fighting me all the way to the line, but I won’t let that happen again.
“I wasn’t expecting that from her today and I thought she’d come back to me at the end, but surprises like that are good for me, good for both of us and great for the event. The standard is getting so much faster now.
“The European Championships will be a great battle between us and it’s so much fun to be part of such an exciting time for women’s 800m running. She’s getting the best out of me and I still believe in myself. The world record is still my goal in London next month and I still believe I can do it.”
Nuguse kept Myers away at the 1500m
In the men’s 1500m, Olympic bronze medallist Yared Nuguse used all his experience to outlast Australia’s Cameron Myers,
winning by 0.21 seconds in 3:30.11. Former world champion Timothy Cheruiyot of Kenya was third in 3:30.67.
The challenge of European 5000m record holder Andreas Almgren and world 10,000m champion Jimmy Gressier never materialised as both found the drop down in distance a little sharper than they were accustomed to.
Gressier finished 12th in 3:34.63, while Almgren was 14th in 3:36.81.
Haylom stroke his second Diamond League-win of the season
Earlier in the programme, Ethiopia’s Birke Haylom led from the front to claim her second Diamond League victory of the season, following her win in Keqiao in May, where she set the world lead of 3:55.56.
Her attempt to improve that mark faded in the closing stages in the Swedish sunshine, as Canada’s Lucia Stafford looked poised to chase her down.
Men Haylom hade tillräckligt med krafter kvar för att hålla undan och vinna på But Haylom had enough left in reserve to hold on and win in 4:00.68, with Stafford 1.25 seconds behind and Great Britain’s Erin Wallace third in 4:02.87.