Audrey Werro Triumphs
Audrey Werro wins the inaugural Ultimate Championship 800m title in Budapest.
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Key Points
1
Werro earned $150,000 for the victory, from the championship’s $10 million total prize fund—the richest in athletics.
2
Hodgkinson had opened the year strongly, setting a world indoor record of 1:54.87 and winning the world indoor title in a championship-record 1:55.30, but her outdoor season was disrupted by injury.
3
Werro controlled the race through a 57.83-second opening lap; the leading trio bunched with 200 metres remaining before Werro produced a decisive surge into the home straight, while Hodgkinson passed Broeders-Bol late for second.
4
Broeders-Bol was competing in her first season over 800 metres after switching from the 400m hurdles, an event in which she is a two-time world champion.
Switzerland's Audrey Werro won the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship women's 800-meter title in Budapest on Saturday, earning $150,000 from the sport's richest prize fund. Freedom 96.9 reported Werro crossed the finish line in 1:55.88, holding off Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson of Britain, who clocked 1:56.26.
The victory caps Werro's breakthrough season. She won the European title and ran 1:53.70—the third-fastest time ever and the quickest in 43 years. Yahoo Sports noted that Dutch runner Femke Broeders-Bol, competing in her first 800m season after switching from the 400m hurdles, finished third in 1:56.74.
Werro Controls Race From Start to Finish
Werro dictated the pace from the opening bell, running a fast 57.83-second first lap to establish control. Dunfermline Press reported that the leading trio—Werro, Hodgkinson, and Broeders-Bol—bunched together with 200 meters remaining. But Werro surged decisively into the home straight, leaving no room for doubt about who would claim the title and the $150,000 prize.
Hodgkinson's Injury-Hit Outdoor Season
Hodgkinson opened 2024 brilliantly, setting a world indoor record of 1:54.87 and winning the world indoor title in a championship-record 1:55.30. But injury disrupted her outdoor campaign. Border Telegraph reported she finished second to Werro in Budapest, unable to replicate her indoor dominance on the track when it mattered most.
Broeders-Bol Makes Bold Switch From Hurdles
Broeders-Bol's third-place finish marks a remarkable debut at 800 meters. The Dutch athlete is a two-time world champion in the 400m hurdles—a completely different event. Yahoo Sports highlighted that her first season in the middle distance already includes a podium finish at the sport's newest, richest championship, signaling a smooth transition to her new event.
The World Record Quest Continues
Werro's 1:53.70 has intensified speculation she could chase Jarmila Kratochvilova's world record of 1:53.28, set in 1983. That mark remains controversial and stood untouched for over four decades. Saturday's race in Budapest did not approach that elite standard, but Werro's season—highlighted by a European title and the Ultimate Championship victory—establishes her as the 800m's most formidable force heading into the future.
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