Britain's Audrey Werro is expected to line up against Keely Hodgkinson and Femke Broeders-Bol in the highly anticipated women's 800 meters at the European championships.
Britain's first foray into European Championships will be closely watched, especially in the women's 800 meters. The reigning Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson will be looking to defend her title against Swiss star Audrey Werro, who ran the third-fastest women's time ever in late June with 1 minute, 53.80 seconds.
Audrey Werro has been making waves in the athletics world, and her performance is expected to be closely monitored. In a press conference at Alexander Stadium, Werro stated that "The goal is to win the medal," but she remains uncertain about the pace of the race. "I don't know if the race will be fast or it will be a tactical race. I don't have the world record now in my head."
The women's 800 world record of 1:53:28 was set in 1983 by Jarmila Kratochvilova. Werro's performance in the lead-up to the championships has been impressive, but she faces stiff competition from Hodgkinson and Femke Broeders-Bol. The final is scheduled for Friday night.
The European championships will also feature other top athletes, including two-time Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who is set to make his return from surgery on his left Achilles tendon in the 5,000 meters on Monday night. Ingebrigtsen has won both the 1,500 and 5,000 meters at the past three European championships.
In other news, Swedish pole vaulter Armand "Mondo" Duplantis is looking to break another world record. He has already broken the world record for a 15th time in March. The men's pole vault final is scheduled for next Sunday on the final evening of the competition.
The European championships will be held in Birmingham, Britain, which is hosting the event for the first time. The city is expecting an estimated 1,600 athletes from 49 member federations to compete. UK Athletics CEO Jack Buckner is confident that Britain will put on a good show. "I want us and our great sport to dominate the sporting landscape for the next week," he said.
Birmingham is a city with a strong community, according to silver medalist Matt Hudson-Smith. "We're a quirky city. We're a strong community," he said. "Everyone knows everybody. It's a big city but it's so close-knit it's insane." Visitors can enjoy the city's good cuisine, including its famous curry and fish and chips.
Ten athletes with the best performances will each receive a bonus of 50,000 euros ($58,000) under the European Athletics "gold crown initiative." The initiative was launched at the 2024 edition in Rome and will reward athletes across five groups of events for both men and women. World Athletics scoring tables will determine the highest scoring performance in the respective finals.
The European championships will be a closely watched event, with many top athletes competing for gold. The women's 800 meters final is scheduled for Friday night, and fans will be eagerly waiting to see how Audrey Werro and Keely Hodgkinson perform.
Source: Yahoo Sports