Swiss middle-distance runner Audrey Werro believes the long-standing women’s 800 metres world record is finally within reach and says a head-to-head battle with Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson could provide the perfect platform to rewrite history.
Werro strengthened her credentials with a stunning victory at the Paris Diamond League on Sunday, clocking one minute 53.80 seconds despite Hodgkinson’s absence from the field.
The 22-year-old improved on her previous personal best of 1:53.98, set earlier this month in Stockholm, and became the first woman to break the 1:54 barrier on two separate occasions.
Both Werro and Hodgkinson have openly targeted the women’s 800m world record of 1:53.28, set by Czech great Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983,
the longest-standing world record in track and field.
“I’m really happy with my performance today. It was really hard to run at world-record pace, but I’m pleased with the time,” Werro said.
“I think I was a little late at the 600m mark, so I had to catch up with the pacing lights. We can’t afford that kind of delay in a race like this, so next time I want to stay with the lights throughout.”
Werro added that racing against athletes of Hodgkinson’s calibre could be the key to finally eclipsing the historic mark.
“It’s much easier when I’m racing against athletes who are as quick as me, like Keely Hodgkinson,” she said. “I think the world record will fall when I’m in a race with another fast athlete pushing me all the way.”