Audrey Werro triumphed over Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson in the women's 800 metres at the Alexander Stadium, clocking a new Championship record of 1:54.81. This performance broke a record that had stood since 1982.
Hodgkinson, who had previously won European titles in 2022 and 2024, secured the silver medal, finishing two-tenths of a second behind Werro. Femke Broeders-Bol claimed the bronze medal in a competitive field.
Reflecting on the race, Hodgkinson expressed "mixed emotions," stating, "When you feel like you’ve not put a foot wrong and it was a great race, and really close, I can’t really be too disappointed." She added, "I fought until the end, I thought I was going to have it in the last 50 but ultimately she just had more."
Despite a challenging summer that included a training accident, Hodgkinson stated she is "in the shape of my life." She prioritised the Birmingham event, skipping the Commonwealth Games, and leaves with a medal, noting, "Ultimately, it’s another championship done, another medal added to the collection, and I have to be happy with that. I’m not satisfied but we’ll get there."