Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson secured the fastest time across four heats on Tuesday morning, reaching the women’s 800m semi-finals at the European Athletics Championships alongside primary gold medal rivals Audrey Werro and Femke Broeders-Bol ahead of Thursday’s showdown.
Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson, winner of the past two European titles, controlled her race throughout to clock a blistering one minute 57.28 seconds to post the quickest mark of the four heats.
Contenders Cruise Through Morning Heats
Swiss athlete Audrey Werro matched that tactical composure, winning her race in 1:57.83 to signal she remains a primary obstacle to the British champion’s gold-medal campaign. There were no issues either for Femke Broeders-Bol, the fast-improving Dutch two-time world 400m hurdles champion who chose to switch events this season, as she crossed the line first in 1:59.96 during her heat.
What I found fascinating about all three of the big names out there was that they made it look so much easier than the rest of the field.
It’s so easy for them, it is remarkable to see.
It sets it up for such a good race going forward,
Rutherford noted.
Rising Standards and Historical Times in the 800m
Werro, who took world indoor silver behind Hodgkinson in March, enters the championship carrying immense momentum after running three of the nine fastest women’s 800m times in history during a superb, unbeaten outdoor season. The 22-year-old previously stunned Hodgkinson by running the fastest time for 43 years to defeat the Briton earlier this season, with her best of 1:53.80 marking the third-fastest of all time.
Hodgkinson is likewise threatening the record books. She is closing in on Jarmila Kratochvilova’s 1983 world record of 1:53.28 after improving her British record to 1:54.33 in finishing behind Werro in Stockholm in June.
“I think it’s really great because we can really push each other. We are really fast and I’m excited for what is coming next.”
Audrey Werro, via sports.yahoo.com
Overcoming Setbacks Ahead of Thursday’s Semi-Finals
For Hodgkinson, the preliminary rounds offered a welcome relief following a couple of setbacks during her outdoor campaign. Following her heat victory, Italy’s Eloisa Coiro briefly interrupted Hodgkinson’s post-race interview with BBC Sport to praise the 24-year-old as saying she was an inspiration on and off the track
.
“I have worked so hard and the shape has been there all year. It’s just been an unfortunate couple of events that have led to me maybe being a little bit off.”
Keely Hodgkinson, via BBC
Reflecting on her performance and the shifting competitive landscape, Hodgkinson emphasized that major competitions offer a clean slate. Championships are a fresh start. That felt very good, very comfortable. The standard has gone up but it’s good, it brings out the best in me,
she said, adding: All it takes is one person to raise the bar and you think more things are possible. Everyone knows that to keep up you have to keep getting better. It’s a really exciting time for the women’s 800m.
Championships are all about medals.
Records will always be broken eventually, but if you win a medal that lasts forever.
But it is set up.
The three best in the world here in Europe is an opportunity to break things like world records.
It is the closest we’re going to have.
