Werro survived an almighty scare on Thursday when she suffered a nasty fall in her semi-final, before later being reinstated in the competition.
Recovering impressively both physically and mentally from that shock, she showed great maturity to hold off Hodgkinson in the tense closing stages – while breaking a championship record that had stood since 1982.
“I knew I could be European champion one day. I hope to be faster and faster next year,” Werro said.
“When I was a child, my dad used to tell me I have to be a lion. I shouldn’t be shy and let other athletes go past me, so I decided to do a celebration with that when I crossed the line.”
In claiming her first senior international title, Werro has proven she is ready to rival the Briton for the sport’s biggest prizes for years to come.
“Audrey Werro is still young and that was a huge amount of pressure, even without the fall and the bruising,” former marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe told BBC TV.
“She pulled it together and took the race by the scruff of the neck, which I think Keely did intend for her to do – but she thought she could come back at her.
“Werro just had another gear.”
Hodgkinson jokingly removed her medal in disgust when asked how she felt after the final.
Despite her disappointment, this was her 12th senior international medal and she continues to progress her times, lowering her personal best in all but her injury-devastated 2025 season across the past four years.
Hodgkinson has long maintained that she has felt the world record is within her reach.
Going forward, she will be aware that may soon be required just to win the titles she craves.
