Audrey Werro continued her dominant outdoor 800-meter season with a victory over Keely Hodgkinson in Budapest at the inaugural three-day World Athletics meeting, reinforcing her status as one of the leading middle-distance runners globally. The 22-year-old Swiss athlete extended her winning streak to 15 races this year, including three of the five fastest times ever recorded, and claimed the $150,000 prize for the event.
Hodgkinson, the Olympic champion from Great Britain, finished second in 1:56.26, with Dutch runner Femke Broeders-Bol taking third place in 1:56.74. Werro crossed the finish line in 1:55.28, securing a substantial margin to hold off Hodgkinson’s late charge. The race marked Hodgkinson’s first competitive outing after a four-week break caused by a hamstring tear sustained at the European Championships.
Reflecting on the result, Hodgkinson acknowledged Werro’s exceptional form. “Audrey has been exceptional,” she said, recognizing the challenge posed by her Swiss rival. Hodgkinson ran a measured race, positioning herself behind the taller runners Broeders-Bol and Werro before accelerating with approximately 90 meters remaining to surpass Broeders-Bol, though she was unable to close the gap to Werro.
This race represented the third defeat Hodgkinson had suffered to Werro since June. It also underscored the challenges Hodgkinson has faced following a breakout indoor season in which she set a new world record and won the world indoor title over 800 meters, running significantly faster than Werro. After that season, Hodgkinson was widely seen as a strong contender to break the long-standing outdoor 800-meter record held by Jarmila Kratochvilova for over four decades.
However, Werro’s breakthrough performance in Stockholm, where she became only the third woman to run under 1:54 outdoors, unexpectedly shifted the competitive landscape. Hodgkinson’s momentum was further disrupted by a fall in training that left her with badly scarred knees and a re-injury to her hamstring. The recurrence of the hamstring tear, initially detected during the warm-up for the European final in Birmingham, sidelined her for much of the season.
“We had to change the approach, focusing on strength rather than speed,” Hodgkinson explained. “People might think I’d be disappointed, but I’m proud of how I approached it. After tearing my hamstring at the Europeans, I wasn’t sure I’d be here at all. It was very much touch and go.”
Hodgkinson expressed gratitude toward her support team for their role in her recovery and decision to compete. Although she aimed for victory, she remained optimistic about future contests with Werro, stating, “I look forward to racing Audrey again next year.”
Hodgkinson received the $75,000 second-place prize, adding to what has been a challenging yet resilient year for the three-time global medalist. The latest encounter in Budapest highlighted the rising rivalry between the athletes and set the stage for continued competition in the 800 meters season ahead.