At Stockholm's Diamond League, Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson set a personal best of 1:54:33, a British record, yet was outpaced by Swiss sprinter Audrey Werro who won in 1:53.98—the third fastest women’s 800m ever and this year’s world‑best. Werro’s first‑lap 55.54 seconds set the tone, and she pulled ahead on the final straight before the finish.

Earlier this season Hodgkinson chased the world record, smashing the indoor mark in February. Her London Diamond League run in July clocked 1:54.61, the fastest since then. Werro, 22, improved her personal best by over a second, dropping from 1:56.64 to 1:53.98, a jump that rattled the field for the global rankings.

American Roisin Willis finished third in 1:57.56, while Hodgkinson’s seventh place in Rome’s 400m at the Diamond League highlighted her versatility. Werro’s time places her inside the top ten all‑time 800m runners, tightening the race for Olympic qualification and setting a benchmark that will pressure rivals across the circuit towards the Paris Games.

With Werro's world‑best now a benchmark, Hodgkinson must refine her pacing to chase the record she once set indoors. The outcome shifts the European sprint hierarchy, positioning Werro as the new benchmark for the Paris Games.