English
It was a race that few will forget in a hurry.
Audrey Werro was already in winning form when she arrived in Stockholm this weekend, having started her 2026 Diamond League campaign with a victory in Rabat the week before.
Yet the Diamond League champion faced a far tougher test in Sweden as she lined up against world number one and Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson.
With both women having impressed in recent months, this had the makings of the start of a new great rivalry.
The first lap proved cagey, as Werro took up a place at the front of the pack and Hodgkinson slotted in behind her to wait for her moment to pounce.
The Brit made her move just after the bell and looked set for victory as she surged past Werro early in the second lap.
Yet the Swiss was not to be beaten, and she reeled Hodgkinson back in over the last 200 metres to claim a decisive and historic victory.
The Wanda Diamond League’s Official Timekeeper OMEGA clocked her at 1:53.98, a new Diamond League record and the third-fastest time in history.
Hodgkinson set a new national record of 1:54.33 in second, but still crossed the line several strides behind her rival.
It was a race which cemented Werro’s status among the global elite and left even the winner herself in a state of shock.
“I still need to process, I am still in shock at this performance!” she said.
