European 800m champion Audrey Werro has set her sights on breaking one of athletics' oldest and most controversial world records. The 22-year-old Swiss athlete is targeting Jarmila Kratochvilova's 800m mark of one minute 53.28 seconds, set in 1983.
Kratochvilova, representing Czechoslovakia, achieved her record during a period when a systematic doping programme was in place in the country. However, she never failed a doping test and has denied cheating.
Werro, who ran 1:53.80 in Paris in June, is now within half a second of the record, placing her third on the all-time list. She stated, "I was not prepared for a world record this year. I just want to focus on running fast and winning some races and I think with this mentality the world record will fall one day. But I don't know when."
Werro attributes her recent improvements to finishing university a year ago, allowing her more time for training, competition, and recovery. She will compete in the Zurich Diamond League meeting on Thursday evening, where she will face Femke Broeders-Bol of the Netherlands. Britain's Georgia Hunter-Bell will also participate, with Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson having withdrawn from the event.