Keely Hodgkinson produced the fastest 800m of her career but was beaten into second place by Audrey Werro at the Diamond League meeting in Stockholm.
The Olympic champion clocked a British record of 1:54.33 after splitting from the field alongside Werro, only to be overtaken by the Swiss runner, who won in 1:53.98 — the third-fastest women’s 800m ever and the quickest time of 2026.
Hodgkinson, who had competed over 400m in Rome earlier in the week (finishing seventh), said the race was very quick and paid credit to her rival. She admitted she tried to stay composed when Werro pushed the pace, praised her opponent and said the performance will sharpen her training. Hodgkinson added that it was a useful early-season run to learn and build on, and that she was pleased with some of the decisions she made tactically even though Werro was better on the day.
Stockholm also produced a surprise in the pole vault as Sweden’s Armand Duplantis, long dominant in the event, failed to clear 6.05m and lost to Australia’s Kurtis Marschall. It was the first time in 40 competitions that Duplantis had finished off the top of the podium. Duplantis said he felt unfocused, was disappointed to lose in front of family and fans, and had no excuses, congratulating Marschall on a fair victory.
Earlier, British sprinter Amy Hunt set a personal best in the 200m but finished second behind world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden.
The meeting underlined how quickly form can shift early in the season: Hodgkinson has lowered the British standard and shown encouraging speed, Werro announced herself with an outstanding run, and Duplantis’s rare defeat reminded observers that even the most consistent champions can be beaten.