{"id":3770,"date":"2026-08-20T19:29:42","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T19:29:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lausanne.diamondleague.com\/audrey-werro-expects-the-first-part-of-the-race-to-be-very-fast\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T19:29:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T19:29:42","slug":"audrey-werro-expects-the-first-part-of-the-race-to-be-very-fast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lausanne.diamondleague.com\/en\/audrey-werro-expects-the-first-part-of-the-race-to-be-very-fast\/","title":{"rendered":"Audrey Werro expects the first part of the race to be very fast"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As the star in front of her home crowd, Audrey Werro<\/strong> 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\u201953\u2019\u201980), just half a second off Jarmila Kratochvilova\u2019s world record (1\u201953\u2019\u201928). 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to put pressure on myself about this world record,\u201d Audrey Werro told the media the day before the meet. \u201cFirst 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,\u201d added Werro, who is undefeated outdoors this season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she set her world record in Munich in 1983, Kratochvilova had clocked 56.83 seconds at the halfway point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among those competing against Werro will be Femke Broeders-Bol<\/strong>: \u201cThis will be my first 800-meter race in Lausanne, so it\u2019ll be a new experience for me. It\u2019s 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,\u201d said the 26-year-old Dutch athlete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After finishing second in Lausanne in 2024 with an excellent time of 1\u201941\u2019\u201972, Marco Arop <\/strong>also has <\/strong>high hopes for his 800-meter race at La Pontaise: \u201cUnlike in Paris, where I wasn\u2019t at my best, I\u2019m now in top form and very confident heading into Friday,\u201d said the world champion, who will face off against Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN), among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Test for Tebogo and Jackson<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over 200 meters, Letsile Tebogo<\/strong> will be putting himself to the test: \u201cI\u2019ve just completed 4 to 5 weeks of training without any competition. I\u2019m not in shape to run a 19.5 right now, but I\u2019ll see how my body responds,\u201d said the Olympic champion from Botswana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the women\u2019s 200-meter race, Amy Hunt<\/strong>, a four-time gold medalist in Birmingham, is still riding high from the European Championships: \u201cSeven races in seven days over there (last week)\u2014it\u2019s incredible. It was also a test of my mental toughness and my ability to recover.\u201d The British runner will face Shericka Jackson<\/strong>, the second-fastest woman in history: \u201cThe last few weeks have been a bit tough; I don\u2019t have any particular expectations for tomorrow,\u201d said the Jamaican. \u201cI\u2019m taking it one step at a time to get back to the form I was in back in June.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ditaji Kambundji<\/strong> (SWI), the 100-meter hurdles world champion, is returning from an injury (a strained thigh). \u201cI did my best in Birmingham (4th at the European Championships); injuries are part of our sport. I\u2019m not going to compare myself to how I was before,\u201d said the Swiss athlete, who is building momentum heading into the end of the season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 5,000-meter race, Grant Fisher ( <\/strong>USA), the indoor world record holder for the distance, is hoping for \u201ca fast and steady race in Lausanne, with good momentum to finish even faster.\u201d \u201cSince 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simon Ehammer<\/strong> (SWI) will once again challenge the \u201cking,\u201d Miltiadis Tentoglou, in the long jump. \u201cI came back from Birmingham with a medal and a jump of 8.29 meters; I\u2019m happy because I\u2019d been a little injured before that. I\u2019m hoping for rainy and cool weather on Friday\u2014typical Swiss weather,\u201d he laughed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rumesh Pathirage<\/strong> (SRI), the top performer of 2026 with a throw of 92.62 meters, will defend his title in the javelin throw. \u201cI\u2019ve 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,\u201d said the Sri Lankan athlete, who will face a top-tier field. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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