Werro wins again as Broeders-Bol shines on 800m debut

Audrey Werro missed out on her pursuit of the long-standing women’s 800m record as two-time 400m hurdles world champion Femke Broeders-Bol impressed in her first outdoor race at the distance.

Swiss athlete Werro stunned Keely Hodgkinson two weeks ago in Stockholm by winning in a time of one minute and 53.98 seconds – the third fastest women’s 800m time ever and fastest in the world this year.

The 22-year-old was looking to break the record of 1:53.28 set by Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983 at the Ostrava Golden Spike in Czechia.

She was in contention at 600m but faded slightly to win in a time of 1:54.55 – still the eighth-fastest in history.

Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles closed the night by setting a world’s best of 14.67 over the unofficial distance of 150m.

The previous fastest time over the distance on a curved track was 14.92 by Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson., external

Werro shone in the 800m as eight women finished inside two minutes in a stacked field.

Dutch superstar Bol, 25, who married Belgian pole vaulter Ben Broeders earlier this year, finished second in 1:57.13 to become the third fastest Dutch woman over two laps.

She announced last year that she was changing events.

She has also been a world indoor champion in the flat 400m and is a renowned relay athlete, a gold medallist anchor leg runner with the Netherlands’ 4x400m team at Paris 2024.