LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND, August 21 — Make no mistake, the big deal for Swiss fans this season has been the emergence of Audrey Werro as the world’s best 800 runner. They even have a name for it, “Audreymania.” Still just 22, she’s been coming on for a few years, but now she’s here. And it doesn’t matter that this was supposed to be Keely Hodgkinson’s year to break the WR.
The Brit wasn’t here for the marquee race of the night, but the wavelights were, and they were set for a modest 1:53.80, equal to the PR Werro ran in the Paris DL. The day before, Werro explained that her Athletissima race wouldn’t exactly be a record chase. “I really try to remind myself that I just want to run fast. I don’t want to put pressure on myself because of this World Record. I know it will be broken one day, but I just don’t know when.”
But yet she asked the pacer to get her through 400 in 55.5. Jarmila Kratochvílová had split 56.1 in her ’83 WR.
However, Werro’s rabbit was a bit too excited, the clock showing 54.64 as she went past. Werro kept her calm and went through in 55.3, but the situation wasn’t ideal. On the backstretch, the Swiss continued her drive as Ethiopia’s Saida Tsehaye tangled with Femke Broeders-Bol and moved into 2nd for a time. Werro passed 600 in 1:25.10 and pulled away from her chasers on the final turn.
She had her eyes on the clock as she worked for the finish and perhaps didn’t realize that Broeders-Bol looked ready to attack. The Dutch 800 convert summoned a powerful drive and nearly caught her at the line. The European champ won in an MR 1:55.33, while Broeders-Bol was just 0.08 back in a Dutch Record 1:55.41.
“I felt more tired than usual today,” admitted Werro..
Broeders-Bol noted that her education is continuing: “I’m not happy that I let someone pass me while I was still feeling good, but that is something I needed to learn, and I learned it through experience today… I need to trust myself, keep pushing after 500m, stop protecting myself too much and simply enjoy racing.”
The first DL race of the night was the 400H, a match between world leader Emma Zapletalová and Americans Anna Cockrell and Jasmine Jones. Cockrell got out fast and had a solid lead for most of the race. Zapletalová caught her at hurdle 8, but the race didn’t look over. Cockrell appeared to be preparing a charge to challenge her, but her form on the last hurdle was bad and she stumbled on the runin. That gave Zapletalová the win in 52.41, scaring Broeders-Bol’s MR, while Cockrell timed 53.15 ahead of Belgium’s Paulien Couckuyt (53.28). Jones, not a factor in the last half of the race, finished 6th in 54.45.
“I know I still have more in me,” said the winner.
The 200 marked the return of Amy Hunt to the DL circuit after her Commonwealth and Euro successes. American Kayla White, who hadn’t raced a 200 in over a month, was waiting for her. Hunt ran a solid turn but White’s was much better, and she had a solid lead hitting the straight.
Hunt could not dent that as White stormed to the win in 22.18 into a wind. The Briton almost fell to Nigeria’s Favour Ofili, as they both clocked 22.32. Shericka Jackson pulled up at about 120 and did not finish.
In the steeple, Faith Cherotich took the lead after a first kilometer in 3:01.8. With Winfred Yavi in tow, she went through 2K in 6:06.6. American Lexi Halladay-Lowry challenged the pack in the final K, but on the last lap the difference showed. Yavi took off as fresh as ever and stormed the final circuit to a 9:00.04 MR, with Cherotich clocking 9:01.90. Both Marwa Bouzayani of Tunisia (9:05.55) and Doris Lemngole (9:07.09) had no problems handling BYU alum Halliday-Lowry, who ran a PR 9:08.35 to move to No. 7 all-time among Americans.
“I was hungry for winning when I crossed the finish line,” said Yavi, whose last victory came at the Brussels DL one day short of a year ago.
Masai Russell’s return to competition after 5 weeks turned up an impressive 12.27 into an 0.2 wind. Perhaps more impressive was the performance of European champion Nadine Visser, who stayed even with Russell for the first half of the race before finishing 2nd in 12.42, ahead of Alaysha Johnson’s 12.49.
For Russell, it was her tenth straight win. “It keeps the streak alive,” she said. “I felt the pressure.”
On the field, Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi had her best throw since the ’24 Brussels DL to take the victory. Her 212-11 (64.90) came in round 2, moving her ahead of Colombia’s Flor Dennis Ruiz, who finished with a 210-11 (64.29).
Said the Olympic champion, “Seeing everything come together like this is rewarding, but my aim is still to go higher.”
Hana Moll scored her first DL win in the pole vault. The American, competing without her twin Amanda, was behind most of the way because of a miss at the opening height of 14-9 (4.50). Only she and leader Angelica Moser could clear 15-6½ (4.74). Then neither looked likely to get over the next bar, 15-10½ (4.84). That’s higher than what Moser flew for Euro gold.
Both kept missing, and after Moser missed for the third time, Moll made the most of her last chance. She came close to knocking it off on the way up, but her height was good and she scored the victory.
Said Moll, who finished her junior season at Washington in June, “Whatever the weather, I wasn’t going to let it affect me. The two words in my mind were ‘fearless’ and ‘fierce.’ I focused on myself rather than the competitors around me, and that led to my result. The energy in the stadium was amazing, and for the rest of the season I want to keep executing my technique, having fun and doing what I did today.”
LAUSANNE WOMEN’S RESULTS
200(0.3): 1. Kayla White (US) 22.18; 2. Amy Hunt (GB) 22.32; 3. Favour Ofili (Ngr) 22.32; 4. Anavia Battle (US) 22.65;… dnf—Shericka Jackson (Jam).
800: 1. Audrey Werro (Swi) 1:55.33; 2. Femke Broeders-Bol (Neth) 1:55.41 NR;
3. Ageze Saida Tsehaye (Eth) 1:56.92 PR (6, x WJ);
4. Veronica Vancardo (Swi) 1:58.68; 5. Valentina Rosamilia (Swi) 1:58.93; 6. Addy Wiley (US) 1:59.22; 7. Lilian Odira (Ken) 1:59.25; 8. Prudence Sekgodiso (SA) 1:59.58.
St: 1. Winfred Yavi (Bhr) 9:00.04; 2. Faith Cherotich (Ken) 9:01.90 (6:06.66); 3. Marwa Bouzayani (Tun) 9:05.55; 4. Doris Lemngole (Ken) 9:07.09;
5. Lexy Halladay-Lowry (US) 9:08.35 PR (AL) (7, x A);
6. Kena Tufa (Eth) 9:12.69; 7. Gabbi Jennings (US) 9:15.29; 8. Elise Thorner (GB) 9:18.29; 9. Olivia Gürth (Ger) 9:22.47.
100H(-0.2): 1. Masai Russell (US) 12.27; 2. Nadine Visser (Neth) 12.42; 3. Alaysha Johnson (US) 12.49; 4. Rayniah Jones (US) 12.57; 5. Pia Skrzyszowska (Pol) 12.61; 6. Ditaji Kambundji (Swi) 12.71.
400H: 1. Emma Zapletalová (Svk) 52.41; 2. Anna Cockrell (US) 53.15; 3. Paulien Couckuyt (Bel) 53.28 NR; 4. Rushell Clayton (Jam) 53.65; 5. Gianna Woodruff (Pan) 54.40; 6. Jasmine Jones (US) 54.45.
PV: 1. Hana Moll (US) 15-10½ (4.84) (14-9 [2], 15-2¾, 15-6½ [2], 15-10½ [3]) (4.50 [2], 4.64, 4.74 [2], 4.84 [3]); 2. Angelica Moser (Swi) 15-6½ (4.74); 3. Katie Moon (US) 15-2¾ (4.64); 4. Sandi Morris (US) 15-2¾; 5. Imogen Ayris (NZ) 15-2¾; 6. tie, Tina Šutej (Slo) & Eliza McCartney (NZ) 14-9 (4.50); 8. Wilma Heltelä (Fin) 14-9; 9. Emily Grove (US) 14-9.
JT: 1. Haruka Kitaguchi (Jpn) 212-11 (64.90); 2. Flor Dennis Ruiz (Col) 210-11 (64.29); 3. Adriana Vilagoš (Ser) 204-4 (62.28); 4. Mackenzie Little (Aus) 200-6 (61.13); 5. Sara Kolak (Cro) 196-1 (59.77); 6. Madison Wiltrout (US) 192-11 (58.81).
