Keely Hodgkinson dominated the women’s 800m in Switzerland, crossing the line well ahead of her rivals on a damp evening.
Hodgkinson delivered another commanding performance ahead of next month’s World Athletics Championships, smashing the meet record in Lausanne’s Diamond League 800m.
On a night more reminiscent of a chilly October in Manchester than a Swiss summer, Hodgkinson clocked 1:55.69 to take victory by 10 metres — her second win in five days against a strong field.
While her time was nearly a second slower than Saturday’s effort in Poland, which ranked among the top 10 all-time, she still comfortably posted the year’s second-fastest time despite the wet, cool conditions.
Switzerland’s Audrey Werro surged late to claim second in 1:57.34, overtaking Georgia Hunter Bell — Hodgkinson’s training partner — near the end. But Hodgkinson was in a league of her own, erasing Maria Mutola’s 2003 meet record of 1:56.25.
“I couldn’t have imagined a better season opener,” said Hodgkinson, who returned only recently after tearing her hamstring three times in nine months. “When the pace is like that, you just run your own race — and it paid off.”
Hunter Bell, who won bronze in the Olympic 1500m, was less pleased. “It was a bit cold and rainy, but as Brits we can’t moan,” she said. “Still, I expected to run quicker than I did.”
She plans to confirm this week whether she’ll compete in the 800m or 1500m in Tokyo at the World Championships — though this race may not have helped clarify things.
Horse racing fans know all about the “Bounce Factor” — where athletes often struggle in their second race after a layoff. But there was no such dip from Hodgkinson.
Her victory in Lausanne sent a louder message, too: challenging the world No 1 comes at a cost, as Prudence Sekgodiso, the world indoor champion, discovered.
Pacemaker Eveline Saalberg led the field through 400m in a searing 56.04, with Hodgkinson close behind. When Saalberg stepped off, only Sekgodiso tried to follow Hodgkinson’s blistering pace. For a while, she stayed close — until she ran out of gas in the last 200m and fell from second to sixth, as Hodgkinson pulled away.
Britain almost had a win in the men’s 800m, with Max Burgin leading into the final straight. But in heavy rain, American Josh Hoey surged late to win in 1:42.82, just ahead of Olympic champ Emmanuel Wanyonyi. Burgin finished fourth in 1:43.44.
Elsewhere, Brits Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita will be disappointed with their 200m races. Asher-Smith started well but was overtaken by American Brittany Brown, who won in 22.23, with Favour Ofili second. Asher-Smith faded to fifth in 22.64, while Neita took seventh in 22.73.
In the men’s 100m, Jamaica’s Oblique Seville handed Olympic champion Noah Lyles another defeat.
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