Audrey Werro continued to edge closer to a historic mark in women’s 800 metres at the Weltklasse Zurich meeting on Thursday, delivering a commanding performance that reaffirmed her dominance in the event this season. The 22-year-old Swiss athlete set a new national record and personal best of 1:53.70, registering one of the fastest times ever recorded and moving nearer to the longstanding world record of 1:53.28 set by Jarmila Kratochvilova 43 years ago. Another notable performance from the Soviet era was Nadezhda Olizarenko’s 1:53.43, set even earlier, though both times have faced scrutiny over the years.
Werro faced a strong challenge from Femke Broeders-Bol, the 400m hurdles world champion recently transitioning into the 800m. Broeders-Bol set an aggressive early pace, leading through 200m and maintaining an impressive 55.36 split at the bell. Werro remained composed, shadowing Broeders-Bol before launching a powerful sprint with 180 metres remaining to seize victory decisively. Georgia Hunter Bell, the Olympic champion’s training partner and three-time major championship winner this season, finished third in 1:55.03, expressing both respect and slight disappointment. Bell indicated she would focus on the 1,500 metres at the upcoming Ultimate Championships in Budapest, praising Werro's exceptional form.
The meeting, held at Zurich’s Letzigrund Stadium in front of a crowd of 26,000, was remarkable not only for Werro’s run but also for multiple world records. Brazilian athlete Alison dos Santos, who overcame severe burns sustained as a baby, broke the men’s 400m hurdles world record with a time of 45.80 seconds, surpassing Karsten Warholm’s previous mark of 45.94 set in Tokyo five years ago. Warholm finished second in 46.69 seconds. The crowd erupted as dos Santos’s time was confirmed, underscoring his rising stature in the sport.
Less than 40 minutes later, Masai Russell, the American reigning Olympic champion, set a new women's 100m hurdles world record, cutting the previous best of 12.12 seconds down to 12.09. The dual records highlighted an extraordinary evening of athletics, with other top-level performances including Emmanuel Wanyonyi winning the men’s 800m in 1:41.76 and Cole Hocker claiming the men’s 1,500m in 3:31.71, with Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen finishing fifth.
In the women’s 100m sprint, Amy Hunt, a four-time European gold medalist this season, faced stiff competition in a field featuring Olympic champion Julien Alfred and world champions Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Sha’Carri Richardson. Hunt finished fifth with a time of 11.04 seconds, finishing ahead of several notable runners, including New Zealander Zoe Hobbs. Alfred, 25, captured the title with a swift 10.70 seconds despite a slight headwind, matched by Jefferson-Wooden, emphasizing the depth of talent present.
The event was described by former athlete Seb Coe as an "Olympics in two hours," a fitting description given the high calibre of competition and the historic moments witnessed at Zurich’s legendary athletics meeting.