Swiss 22-year-old 800 metre phenom, Audrey Werro, narrowly held off the hard-charging Dutch athlete Femke Broeders-Bol, who this year converted to the 800m, after years as a 400 metre hurdler. They finished first and second in 1:54.75 and 1:54.81, respectively.

Ethiopia’s Saida Tsehaye took third well back at 1:57.57.

The pacer took the athletes through 400m in just over 55 seconds, which is what the athletes asked for. Werro led from gun to tape, but it was over the final 60m, where Broeders-Bol looked as though she might catch Werro and nearly did. If the race was 810m long, Broeders-Bol may have won.

It was a meet record for Werro, who holds a personal best of 1:53.70 from the Zürich Diamond League meet. At that same meet, Broeders-Bol ran her 1:54.71 PB on August 27.

Werro is hoping to break the world record, which is held by former Czechoslovakian athlete Jarmila Kratochvílová with her 1:53.28 from July 1983. The only performances faster than Werro’s are Kratochvílová’s and Nadezhda Olizarenko’s run from July 1980. She is a Ukrainian runner.

There are only eight faster athletes than Broeders-Bol in history, totaling 14 performances that sit in front of her. It is only a matter of time before both are 1-2 in history. Also in consideration is 24-year-old British runner Keely Hodgkinson, who is the Paris Olympic champion and has run as fast as 1:54.33 in June this year at the Stockholm Diamond League meet.

Kenyan Pamela Jelimo held the meet record for 18 years at 1:55.16. She was an Olympic gold medallist from the 2008 Beijing Games and a silver medallist from the 2012 London Olympic Games.

She continues to hold the U20 world record for her 1:54.01 run in Zürich in 2008.

Will Femke Broeders-Bol beat Audrey Werro in the 800m this season or next season?

RankNatNameTime1SUIWERRO Audrey1:54.75 MR2NEDBROEDERS‑BOL Femke1:54.813ETHTSEHAYE Saida1:57.574SUIVANCARDO Veronica1:58.665AUSBILLINGS Sarah1:59.996USAWILEY Addison2:01.297BELLAUS Camille2:01.638RSASEKGODISO Prudence2:02.34DNFMRIKLOPFENSTEIN Rachel—DQBOTNOWE OratileTR17.2.3

Rank
Time
Name
Nat
DOB
Place
Date

1
1:53.28
Jarmila Kratochvílová
CZE
26.01.51
München
26.07.1983

2
1:53.43
Nadezhda Olizarenko
UKR
28.11.53
Moskva
27.07.1980

3
1:53.70
Audrey Werro
SUI
27.03.04
Zürich
27.08.2026

4
1:53.80
Audrey Werro
SUI
27.03.04
Paris
28.06.2026

5
1:53.98
Audrey Werro
SUI
27.03.04
Stockholm
07.06.2026

6
1:54.01
Pamela Jelimo
KEN
05.12.89
Zürich
29.08.2008

7
1:54.25
Caster Semenya
RSA
07.01.91
Paris
30.06.2018

8
1:54.33
Keely Hodgkinson
GBR
03.03.02
Stockholm
07.06.2026

9
1:54.44
Ana Fidelia Quirot
CUB
23.03.63
Barcelona
09.09.1989

10
1:54.45
Audrey Werro
SUI
27.03.04
Ostrava
16.06.2026

11
1:54.60
Caster Semenya
RSA
07.01.91
Monaco
20.07.2018

12
1:54.61
Keely Hodgkinson
GBR
03.03.02
London
20.07.2024

13
1:54.62
Lilian Odira
KEN
18.04.99
Tokyo
21.09.2025

14
1:54.68
Jarmila Kratochvílová
CZE
26.01.51
Helsinki
09.08.1983

15
1:54.71
Femke Broeders‑Bol
NED
23.02.00
Zürich
27.08.2026

16
1:54.74
Keely Hodgkinson
GBR
03.03.02
Chorzów
16.08.2025

17
1:54.77
Caster Semenya
RSA
07.01.91
Ostrava
09.09.2018

18
1:54.81
Olga Mineyeva
RUS
01.10.52
Moskva
27.07.1980

18
1:54.81
Audrey Werro
SUI
27.03.04
Birmingham
14.08.2026