Editor’s note: The Women’s 800 meter could be the most anticipated race in all of the European Athletics Champs. The fast racing of Audrey Werro, Keely Hodgkinson, and the lightning development over 800 by Femke Broeders-Bol make this a fan’s dream.
Stuart Weir is at every session, and we appreciate the diligence of our RBR senior writer, who makes the reader feel like they are trackside with our European senior writer.
The Women’s 800 Prelims
Why is the editor of Run Blog Run giving space to an article about the prelims of the women’s 800? Come on, no medals are at stake. It is just about the top athletes doing as little as possible to make the semi-final. Not this time!
Keely Hodginson won the first race in 1:57.28. There were three athletes in the 1:57s
Femke Broeders-Bol won the second in 1:59.96
Audrey Werro won the third race in 1:57.83
Gabija Galvydyte took the fourth prelim in 1:58.99
When the results were aggregated, it revealed that alongside the top three in each race, the cut-off for time qualification was 1:58.65. Of the 31 athletes running, ten ran a PR, of which two broke their national record.
Audrey Werro described her approach as: “It was a cool race. The goal was to qualify without losing too much energy, so that’s what I did. I enjoy the pressure of competing at a championships. I know my goal, so I try to concentrate myself without putting too much pressure on. It’s all fun. Competing against (home favorite Keely) Hodgkinson doesn’t change anything for me. These are just another championship, so my goal is to make the podium and get a medal. It’s better when we have strong competitors, so I really like this situation. I’m comfortable now with both tactical and fast race scenarios. I really like fast races, but I am also used to running tactical races – both are good for me. To have a European title would mean a lot. It would mean I am now also a good athlete at senior level. I have done some great times, but all my medals were at the junior level, so it would be great to win my first European senior title. It would be a first for Switzerland too. That would be a huge honor for me.
Given that her goal was “to qualify without losing too much energy,” we completely understand why she did not try to run fast – just 1:57.28!
The overall favorite, Keely Hodgkinson, said after running 1:57.28: “I felt really good. I’m so glad the race was a bit quicker. I felt it was at a similar rhythm to when I train. I’m glad because sometimes a slower race can feel awful. I just got back from Portugal, so I feel great. I got a nice tan there and had some relaxation time, which is always needed. That has prepared me to be here today. I don’t really care about the noise about me. I haven’t got time for that. I just focus on myself and do what I can do”.
Femke Broeders-Bol said: “That went pretty well, according to plan. Those were my very first 800m heats at a major championships, so it’s nice to get through to the semis. I feel very strong and have posted very good times earlier this season, but I do have to admit it was quite exciting and nerve-wracking going into this race this morning. I have never done a race like this before at a major event, with all the tactics, all the pushing and stuff. It was a very new experience for me, but I am very happy it worked out well. It’s nice to not have a target on my back this time around. It’s nice to just surprise myself, to be the underdog instead of the favorite. Of course, it’s also a bit about finding out how things work and getting used to doing these types of races. In a way, it’s difficult; I am not too experienced with the tactical part of the 800m. Not being a clear favorite means I’m not the one controlling the race this time around. In the 400m hurdles, I had my own lane, my own hurdles, and I knew what I was capable of. In the 800m, everything is very new but that’s also very exciting”.
Jemma Reekie, the fastest non-automatic qualifier in 1:58.45, said: “I was expecting the race to be quick; I was happier for it to be quick than for it to be slow. I think I ran the race well tactically. I just wasn’t able to access what I know I am capable of accessing down the home straight”.
That was only the prelims, with the semi-finals on Thursday and the final on Friday.
