Ultimate preview: women's 800m

Audrey Werro, Keely Hodgkinson and Femke Broeders-Bol in the 800m (© Getty Images)

Semifinals: Friday 11 Sep, 20:57Final: Saturday 12 Sep, 20:18

Contenders:Keely Hodgkinson (GBR) 🏅Audrey Werro (SUI) 💎Femke Broeders-Bol (NED)Addison Wiley (USA)Prudence Sekgodiso (RSA)Oratile Nowe (BOT)Nigist Getachew (ETH)Roisin Willis (USA)Shafiqua Maloney (VIN)Sarah Billings (AUS)Rénelle Lamote (FRA)Raevyn Rogers (USA)Eloisa Coiro (ITA)Halimah Nakaayi (UGA)Valentina Rosamilia (SUI)Veronica Vancardo (SUI)

World lead: 1:53.70 Audrey Werro (SUI) Zurich, 27 Aug2026 world list | world rankings

World record: 1:53.28 Jarmila Kratochvílová (TCH) Munich, 26 Jul 1983world all-time list | world record progression

Few events have evolved quite as dramatically in 2026 as the women's 800m.

Keely Hodgkinson began the year by breaking the world indoor record with 1:54.87 and then winning the world indoor title in Toruń. But outdoors, Audrey Werro has emerged as the athlete everyone else has been trying to catch.

The Swiss 22-year-old announced herself in stunning fashion in Stockholm in June, beating Hodgkinson in 1:53.98 to become just the third woman in history to break 1:54. Hodgkinson's 1:54.33 for second was itself a British record.

Werro subsequently improved to 1:53.80 in Paris and then 1:53.70 in Zurich, edging ever closer to Jarmila Kratochvílová's long-standing world record of 1:53.28.

She has also delivered when medals have been at stake. Werro beat Hodgkinson and Femke Broeders-Bol to the European title in Birmingham before rounding off her Diamond League campaign with victory in Brussels last weekend.

That latest win was anything but comfortable. Broeders-Bol followed her every move before drawing almost level in the home straight, Werro holding on by just 0.06 in 1:54.75.

The Dutchwoman's progress has been remarkable. Having switched to the 800m this season after years of dominance in the 400m hurdles, Broeders-Bol has improved with almost every outing. Her 1:54.71 in Zurich moved her to ninth on the world all-time list.

Hodgkinson, meanwhile, arrives with more uncertainty. After taking European silver behind Werro, a hamstring issue forced her to miss both Zurich and Brussels. But the Olympic champion is set to compete in Budapest, where she will attempt to rediscover the form that carried her to the world indoor title earlier this year.

Addison Wiley, world indoor bronze medallist in Toruń, heads the challengers behind the leading trio, while 2019 world champion Halimah Nakaayi and 2021 Olympic medallist Raevyn Rogers add further championship pedigree.

Werro has been the woman to beat outdoors all season. But with Hodgkinson returning and Broeders-Bol getting closer with every race, maintaining that perfect record in Budapest may be her toughest task yet.

Matt Majendie for World Athletics

Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion