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  1. Hodgkinson wins second semipublished at 12:22 BST 13 August

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    Keely Hodgkinson glides over the finish line in first, ahead of Femke Broeders-Bol in second.

    Italian Eloisa Coiro claims the final automatic qualifying spot in third.

    Keely Hodgkinson of Team Great Britain competes in the Women's 800 Metres Semi-Finals on during day four of the 27th European Athletics Championships at Alexander Stadium on August 13, 2026 in Birmingham, England.Image source, Getty Images
  2. Postpublished at 12:21 BST 13 August

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    Netherlands' Femke Broeders-Bol joins Keely Hodgkinson and the Briton pulls her down the home straight...

  3. Postpublished at 12:20 BST 13 August

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    Keely Hodgkinson goes to the front and will be looking to keep out of trouble.

    This second semi-final is faster, too...

  4. Second semi-final lane drawpublished at 12:19 BST 13 August

    Women's 800m

    The runners are ready now for the second semi-final:

    • 2. Valentina Rosamilla - Switzerland
    • 3. Rocio Arroyo - Spain
    • 4. Clara Liberman - France
    • 5. Smilla Kolbe - Germany
    • 6. Keely Hodgkinson - GB
    • 7. Eloisa Coiro - Italy
    • 8. Femke Broeders-Bol - Netherlands
    • 9. Nina Vukovic - Croatia
  5. 'Something happened'published at 12:18 BST 13 August

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    Audrey Werro speaking to BBC Sport: "I was feeling great but unfortunately I don't know, something happened and then I was on the ground, I hope I will qualify for the final because then I can go to the final. I finished the race, now we'll see what happens."

  6. Qualifiers - first semi-finalpublished at 12:18 BST 13 August

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    At this stage, here are the top three finishers:

    • Jemma Reekie
    • Anais Bourgoin
    • Veronica Vancardo
  7. Postpublished at 12:17 BST 13 August

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    Audrey Werro is speaking in the mixed zone. She hopes to qualify via an appeal.

  8. 'It doesn't take a lot'published at 12:16 BST 13 August

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    Steve Cram
    BBC athletics commentator at Alexander Stadium

    I don't think she caught the curb, you need to see where her legs clip, when you're moving at that pace it doesn't take much to lose your feet.

  9. Postpublished at 12:16 BST 13 August

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    Steve Cram and Paula Radcliffe are assessing Audrey Werro's fall...

  10. 'She looks winded'published at 12:14 BST 13 August

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    Paula Radcliffe
    Former women's marathon world record holder on BBC One

    You can see Werro knows she has to finish to have any chance to be in the final, she looks badly winded.

  11. Postpublished at 12:13 BST 13 August

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    Jemma Reekie finishes first and is through.

    Anais Bourgoin follows in second with Switzerland's Veronica Vancardo completing the automatic qualifiers as first three finishers.

  12. ouch!

    Ouch!published at 12:13 BST 13 August

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    France record holder Anais Bourgoin joins Audrey Werro at the front but Werro is clipped and she's down!

    Audrey Werro of Team Switzerland falls on the track during the Women's 800m Semi-Final day four of the 27th European Athletics Championships at Alexander Stadium on August 13, 2026 in Birmingham, England.Image source, Getty Images
  13. Postpublished at 12:12 BST 13 August

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    Audrey Werro at the front, controlling this race at the bell.

  14. Postpublished at 12:11 BST 13 August

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    The first semi-final is under way...

  15. Werro 'excited for what is coming next'published at 12:10 BST 13 August

    Audrey Werrro makes a claw like a tigerImage source, Getty Images

    Switzerland's Audrey Werro, who took world indoor silver behind GB's Keely Hodgkinson in March, has run three of the nine fastest women's 800m times in history during a superb, unbeaten outdoor season.

    The 22-year-old's best of one minute 53.80 seconds is the third-fastest of all time, while Hodgkinson is also closing in on Jarmila Kratochvilova's 1983 world record of 1:53.28 after improving her British record to 1:54.33 in finishing behind Werro in Stockholm in June.

    Discussing the standard of the event after her heat, Werro said: "I think it's really great because we can really push each other. We are really fast and I'm excited for what is coming next."

  16. Tough task for Reekiepublished at 12:09 BST 13 August

    Jemma Reekie and Audrey WerroImage source, Getty Images

    Jemma Reekie faces a tough ask to reach the final, with five of the eight women in her semi-final ranked above her.

    The 28-year-old Scot is currently rankled 28th in Europe.

    As mentioned, Switzerland's Audrey Werro (2nd) and France record holder Anais Bourgoin (4th) are expected to head the field, but Slovakia's Gabriela Gajanova (6th), France's Renelle Lamote (8th) and Lithuania's Gablja Galvydyte (13th) will also be fighting hard to finish in the top three and gain automatic qualification for the final.

    Potentially, Reekie's best hope could be to make it a fast race, with the two fastest finishers across both semi-finals who fail to make the top three also going through.

  17. First semi-final lane drawpublished at 12:08 BST 13 August

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    The runners are on the track and lining up now...

    • 2.Gabriela Gajanova - Slovakia
    • 3. Marta Mitjans - Spain
    • 4. Jemma Reekie - GB
    • 5. Audrey Werro - Switzerland
    • 6. Anais Bourgoin - France
    • 7. Veronica Vancardo - Switzerland
    • 8. Renelle Lamote - France
    • 9. Gabija Galvydyte - Lithuania
  18. 'People don't realise what it takes'published at 12:07 BST 13 August

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    Greg Rutherford
    Former world and Olympic long jump champion on BBC One

    A lot of people don't realise for all these athletes out there, this is what it takes. Those horrible sessions that annihilate your body. Like they said there, the world record won't feel as hard as this.

  19. The team behind Hodgkinson's golden risepublished at 12:06 BST 13 August

    Media caption,

    Pain, pride and teamwork - inside the camp behind Hodgkinson's success

    The Olympic champion and the world silver medallist over 800m embrace by the side of the track after surviving their latest brutal training session together during an east Manchester downpour.

    A short while ago, Keely Hodgkinson lay flat out on the track.

    Coach Trevor Painter, aware it may be some time before Hodgkinson can move again, places an opened umbrella beside his star athlete to shield her from the incessant rain, before running for cover.

    It requires the assistance of two team-mates to eventually peel her off the ground.

    Georgia Hunter Bell, meanwhile, uses the little energy she has left to take herself away to be sick.

    Observing it all, Painter jokes he is mostly disappointed that relatively few of their team-mates have suffered the same fate on this occasion, when the cameras are rolling.

    This is, after all, what it takes to be part of M11 Track Club, where the emphasis is on fun until the stopwatch starts.

    Named after the postcode in which it is based, the near-30 strong international training group continue to create history under the guidance of the meticulous Painter and partner Jenny Meadows, a world medallist who has put herself through all the anguish she now oversees.

  20. Really exciting time for women's 800m - Hodgkinsonpublished at 12:04 BST 13 August

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    Keely Hodgkinson competes at the European Championships in BirminghamImage source, Getty Images

    Keely Hodgkinson remained cautious after her opening run of the European Championships, following a summer punctuated by injury scares, including a fall in training and hamstring problems: "I have worked so hard and the shape has been there all year. It's just been an unfortunate couple of events that have led to me maybe being a little bit off.

    "Championships are a fresh start. That felt very good, very comfortable. The standard has gone up but it's good, it brings out the best in me.

    "All it takes is one person to raise the bar and you think more things are possible. Everyone knows that to keep up you have to keep getting better. It's a really exciting time for the women's 800m."