BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) 鈥� Audrey Werro stormed to the 800-meter title by holding off Keely Hodgkinson down the home straight at the European championships on Friday.
The Swiss star, who was given a spot in the final after a day earlier, finished in 1 minute, 54.81 seconds at Alexander Stadium.
Hodgkinson closed the gap down the stretch but Werro willed herself across the line for gold ahead of her British rival. Dutch star Femke Broeders-Bol took bronze.
鈥淚 was coming for the gold medal. It truly means a lot. I鈥檓 so happy with the finish of the race,鈥� said Werro, who did her trademark lion’s roar after winning.
Werro, sporting a small bandage on her right hip, took the lead in the first lap and never let up. Werro in late June ran ever: 1:53.80.
In one of Thursday’s semifinal heats, Anais Bourgoin鈥檚 left hand made contact with Werro鈥檚 right foot and Werro tumbled on the last bend.
鈥淚t was not the best scenario to qualify like that,鈥� Werro said. 鈥淚t was just a little bit hard for me at this point as that fall was very dramatic in the semis. But I tried to convince myself that I have the second chance and I have to take it and do something great. I鈥檓 glad I had a second chance and I just took it.鈥�
Hodgkinson had won the past two 800 titles at the European championships.
鈥淕oing into that last 100m I really thought I could catch her but sometimes you just don鈥檛 have enough and that was the case today,鈥� Hodgkinson said. 鈥淥f course, I am very disappointed but it was a fantastic race.鈥�
Werro broke the European championships record of 1:55.41 set in 1982 by Olga Mineyeva, European Athletics said.
Gold for Italians and Warholm
It鈥檚 back-to-back doubles for Italy鈥檚 Nadia Battocletti, who defended her 10,000-meter title three nights after retaining her 5,000-meter crown.
Battocletti, the silver medalist in the 10,000 at the Paris Olympics, made her move with 200 meters remaining and Maureen Koster of the Netherlands and Belgium鈥檚 Jana van Lent couldn鈥檛 keep up.
Battocletti crossed the line in 31 minutes, 41.17 seconds. Koster took silver, and Van Lent won bronze.
In the high jump, Gianmarco Tamberi won his fourth European championships title 鈥� and third in a row 鈥� after clearing 2.32 meters.
The charismatic Tamberi, who Mutaz Barshim at the 2020 Tokyo Games, pulled off his jersey and thumped his bare chest in celebration Friday.
Ukraine’s Oleh Doroshchuk (2.30) took silver, and Tamberi teammate Matteo Sioli (2.27) won bronze.
Norway star Karsten Warholm lowered his own European championships record in the 400-meter hurdles by winning in 46.63 seconds for his fourth consecutive title in the discipline.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not as easy as it looks out there, I don鈥檛 take any medal for granted but today was extra special for me as nobody has ever won four in a row,鈥� the 30-year-old Warholm said. 鈥淚 was so locked in today.鈥�
Germany’s Emil Agyekum took bronze, and Ismail Nezir of Turkey was third.
Married man 鈥楳ondo鈥� Duplantis into pole vault final
Swedish pole vaulter Armand 鈥淢ondo鈥� Duplantis is hoping to break the world record 鈥� as a married man.
Duplantis, who tied the knot with Desir茅 Inglander in June, needed just one successful attempt at 5.60 meters to qualify for Sunday night鈥檚 final.
The world record is 6.31, which the Louisiana-born Duplantis vaulted in March. That was his . He first broke it in 2020 and has eclipsed his mark by 1 centimeter every time since.
The looked fully recovered from a thigh issue that forced him to stop competing at the London Diamond League meet one month ago.
鈥淚鈥檝e worked really hard the past few weeks to try and make sure I am ready for this competition, so I feel good out there. I feel hopeful and confident for Sunday,鈥� he said. “The jump was clean, good. Nothing too out of the ordinary. Now it鈥檚 just about going up there and doing what I normally do in the final on Sunday.”
The world record holder signed autographs and shook hands with fans. Organizers sold special 鈥楳ondo鈥� children鈥檚 tickets priced at 6.31 pounds 鈥� the figure representing his latest world record height 鈥� for Friday morning鈥檚 session.
Duplantis also revealed on Friday he usually keeps his wedding band 鈥渋n between my laces (of) my spikes鈥� while he competes.
He said his marriage proposal and wedding day were more nerve-wracking than vaulting himself into rarefied air going for a world record.
鈥淲hen I attempt a world record, it’s just like the cherry on top,” he said. “I don鈥檛 really even get that nervous, it’s more like I won the competition and whatever happens after that is really nice.鈥�
Duplantis competes for his mother鈥檚 native Sweden and has won the past three European championship titles.
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