Keely Hodgkinson advanced to the women's 800m semi-finals at the European Athletics Championships on Thursday 13 August 2026, setting up a possible showdown with rivals Audrey Werro and Femke Broeders-Bol. The Olympic champion won her heat in one minute 57.28 seconds, the fastest time across the four heats, while Werro and Broeders-Bol also progressed comfortably.
Hodgkinson, who has claimed the past two European 800m titles, controlled her race from start to finish. Werro, the Swiss athlete who stunned the field by beating Hodgkinson earlier this season with the fastest time recorded in 43 years, looked similarly at ease in winning her heat in 1:57.83. Dutch two-time world 400m hurdles champion Femke Broeders-Bol, who switched to the 800m this season and has shown rapid improvement, crossed the line first in her heat in 1:59.96.
Hodgkinson's post-race interview was briefly interrupted by Italy's Eloisa Coiro, who said the 24-year-old was
