BIRMINGHAM, England : Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson eased into the women’s 800 metres final at the European Athletics Championships on Thursday, while Swiss rival Audrey Werro secured her place in Friday’s medal race after being reinstated following a dramatic fall.
Werro, who ran the fastest women’s 800m time in 43 years earlier this season, was leading the opening semi-final when she fell heavily on the final bend.
The 22-year-old got back to her feet and finished last while clutching her chest, but officials reinstated her after reviewing footage that showed France’s Anais Bourgoin making contact with Werro’s right foot before the fall.
There was no such drama for Hodgkinson, who led from the start of the second semi-final and crossed the line in one minute 57.38 seconds to qualify comfortably.
The Briton held off Femke Broeders-Bol, the twice world champion in the 400m hurdles who has switched her focus to the 800m this season.
“I heard an ‘ooh’ from the crowd, which is never a good sign,” Hodgkinson told the BBC when asked about Werro’s fall.
The women’s 800m has emerged as one of the most anticipated races of the championships, with Hodgkinson, Werro and Broeders-Bol expected to contend for gold.
“The excitement makes me excited. I can’t wait to step out there,” Hodgkinson said. “It brings out the best in me.”
Werro stunned the athletics world when she clocked 1:43.80 at the Paris Diamond League on June 28, the fastest time over the distance in more than four decades and the closest anyone has come to Jarmila Kratochvilova’s world record of 1:53.28, set in 1983.
