Werro edges ever closer to elusive women’s 800m world record

ZURICH, Switzerland (AFP)—Switzerland's Audrey Werro edged ever closer to the elusive world record in the women's 800m at the Zurich Diamond League meet on Thursday. Werro clocked 1min 53.70sec for victory at the Letzigrund Stadium, a meet and national record and the third fastest time ever run over the two-lap distance. It improved by 0.10sec her previous best set at the Paris Diamond League in June.

The 22-year-old Swiss sensation now owns four of the top 10 times in the 800m. Femke Broeders-Bol improved the Dutch national record to 1:54.71 in second place. Britain's Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson was absent but her training partner Georgia Hunter Bell produced a season's best of 1:55.03 to round out the podium.

"I am getting better and better and I am simply very motivated," said Werro, who has improved massively since finishing university and turning full-time professional. "I achieved my goals for this year, so now everything is for fun. Last year I won the Diamond League race here and so it was very important for me to win again here." - 'Tight for the WR' - Although Werro is always keen to play down talk of tilts at the 43-year-old world record in the distance, it seems only a matter of time before the Swiss re-writes the history books.

It is the oldest world record in track and field: Jarmila Kratochvilova of the then-Czechoslovakia stormed to 1min 53.28sec over two laps of the Munich track back in 1983. The mark remains highly contested, having come during a period when systemic doping of athletes was prevalent. Kratochvilova, however, never failed a doping test.

Nadezhda Olizarenko, of the then-Soviet Union, is second in the all-time list, 0.15sec slower when winning gold in the 1980 Olympic final in Moscow. "As far as the world record is concerned, I saw the light, but there was a lot of movement during the race and it was not calm," Werro said. "But I still had enough energy at the end of the race to accelerate and to stay in the lead.

Yes, it was tight for the WR, it was not meant for today. "I am so proud to be able to run those sub-1:54 times, which shows that I can run consistently and fast now and this is good for the future." The extraordinary rise of Broeders-Bol, the former two-time world 400m hurdles champion, also continues. "I must say, I really enjoyed it!" said the 26-year-old.