Werro wins in Lausanne as Tebogo, Wanyonyi lay down markers for Budapest
LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Aug 21 : Switzerland's Audrey Werro delighted the home crowd by winning the women's 800 metres at the Lausanne Diamond League meeting on Friday, holding off fast-finishing Femke Broeders-Bol to add another chapter to her extraordinary breakout season.
The 22-year-old, who clocked the fastest women's 800 in 43 years earlier this season to establish herself among the world's elite middle-distance runners, crossed in one minute 55.33 seconds, fading over the final 200m after a sizzling first lap.
The victory came a week after she outran Britain's Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson to win her first European title.
"The turnaround after the European Championships was very short, so I had to recover quickly, and I felt more tired than usual today," Werro said. "Despite that, I managed to win, so I'm very happy."
Broeders-Bol of the Netherlands, a double world 400m hurdles champion who moved up to the two-lap event this season, clocked 1:55.41 for second at Stade Olympique de la Pontaise.
"This race gives me even more confidence that I belong with the best," Broeders-Bol said. "I need to trust myself, keep pushing after 500 metres, stop protecting myself too much and simply enjoy racing."
Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana cruised to victory in the men's 200m in 19.87 seconds, 0.03 off his season's best time in a strong statement ahead of the World Athletics Ultimate Championships next month in Budapest.
"For me, it was all about running the curve and executing the first 150 metres, then seeing how the race developed," Tebogo said.
"It has been challenging to maintain this level throughout the whole season. The last five weeks I have been focused on training hard in the gym. Now it's about enjoying every race in this final part of the season so that it doesn't take a toll on my mental health."
Sinesipho Dambile of South Africa crossed second in 19.98.
KENYA'S WANYONYI WINS 800 METRES
Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya raced to his first 800m victory of the season, powering into the lead over the final 20 metres to finish in 1:42.19.
"I had a battle, especially over the final 100 metres, but I felt very strong and I'm happy to have won the race," Wanyonyi said. "My legs were beginning to tighten, but I kept pushing all the way to the finish."
Djamel Sedjati of Algeria was second in 1:42.31, while American Brandon Miller crossed third in 1:42.55. The 2023 world champion Marco Arop of Canada, who led for most of the race, faded to fourth.
American Kayla White clocked 22.18 seconds to win the women's 200m, but Jamaica's Shericka Jackson, a double world champion in the event, pulled up with an apparent hamstring injury coming off the bend.
Britain's Amy Hunt was second in 22.32 a week after her remarkable performance in Birmingham, where she became the first athlete to win four gold medals at a single European Championship.
Hunt edged Nigeria's Favour Ofili, who was third in a photo finish.
Olympic champion Masai Russell of the U.S. led from the first barrier to win the women's 100m hurdles in 12.27 for her ninth consecutive victory this season.
"It was another win, so it keeps the streak alive, and I´m very pleased," Russell said. "I hadn't raced in a month, so I was really happy to see that my performance was right where I left it."
Winfred Yavi of Bahrain won the women's 3,000m steeplechase in 9:00.04, ahead of Kenyan world champion Faith Cherotich, who trailed in 9:01.90.
