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As the star in front of her home crowd, Audrey Werro plans to run the first half of the 800-meter race in 55.5 seconds on Friday in Lausanne, the same split time as at the Paris meet in the race where she posted the third-fastest time in history (1’53’’80), just half a second off Jarmila Kratochvilova’s world record (1’53’’28). The Swiss runner has chosen her pacer: Dutch 400-meter runner Myrte van der Schoot, who is coached by Laurent Meuwly. And, of course, she will have the benefit of the lighted pacer.
“I don’t want to put pressure on myself about this world record,” Audrey Werro told the media the day before the meet. “First and foremost, I want to have fun. But the Lausanne meet is special to me. My whole family and all my friends will be there. The race could go very fast even without Keely Hodgkinson if the conditions are good and the pacemaker does her job well,” added Werro, who is undefeated outdoors this season.
When she set her world record in Munich in 1983, Kratochvilova had clocked 56.83 seconds at the halfway point.
Among those competing against Werro will be Femke Broeders-Bol: “This will be my first 800-meter race in Lausanne, so it’ll be a new experience for me. It’s exciting to see this pursuit of the world record. Compared to the 400-meter hurdles, I appreciate having to work less on speed during training. Maybe this change in discipline will allow me to extend my career,” said the 26-year-old Dutch athlete.
After finishing second in Lausanne in 2024 with an excellent time of 1’41’’72, Marco Arop also has high hopes for his 800-meter race at La Pontaise: “Unlike in Paris, where I wasn’t at my best, I’m now in top form and very confident heading into Friday,” said the world champion, who will face off against Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN), among others.
A Test for Tebogo and Jackson
Over 200 meters, Letsile Tebogo will be putting himself to the test: “I’ve just completed 4 to 5 weeks of training without any competition. I’m not in shape to run a 19.5 right now, but I’ll see how my body responds,” said the Olympic champion from Botswana.
In the women’s 200-meter race, Amy Hunt, a four-time gold medalist in Birmingham, is still riding high from the European Championships: “Seven races in seven days over there (last week)—it’s incredible. It was also a test of my mental toughness and my ability to recover.” The British runner will face Shericka Jackson, the second-fastest woman in history: “The last few weeks have been a bit tough; I don’t have any particular expectations for tomorrow,” said the Jamaican. “I’m taking it one step at a time to get back to the form I was in back in June.”
Ditaji Kambundji (SWI), the 100-meter hurdles world champion, is returning from an injury (a strained thigh). “I did my best in Birmingham (4th at the European Championships); injuries are part of our sport. I’m not going to compare myself to how I was before,” said the Swiss athlete, who is building momentum heading into the end of the season.
In the 5,000-meter race, Grant Fisher ( USA), the indoor world record holder for the distance, is hoping for “a fast and steady race in Lausanne, with good momentum to finish even faster.” “Since this is a year without the World Championships or the Olympics, the Diamond League and the Ultimate Championship in Budapest are our main goals. My victory in Paris has given me a lot of confidence.”
Simon Ehammer (SWI) will once again challenge the “king,” Miltiadis Tentoglou, in the long jump. “I came back from Birmingham with a medal and a jump of 8.29 meters; I’m happy because I’d been a little injured before that. I’m hoping for rainy and cool weather on Friday—typical Swiss weather,” he laughed.
Rumesh Pathirage (SRI), the top performer of 2026 with a throw of 92.62 meters, will defend his title in the javelin throw. “I’ve really broken through this season, which has changed quite a few things for me both professionally and personally. Tomorrow will be only my fourth Diamond League meet,” said the Sri Lankan athlete, who will face a top-tier field.