<\/p>\n
The oldest world record in track and field history stretches all the way back to 25 July 1983 \u2013 to the same week, in fact, that Elton John\u2019s I\u2019m Still Standing was released in the UK. But this increasingly looks like the year that Jarmila \u00adKratochvilova\u2019s imposing women\u2019s 800m record may finally tumble.<\/p>\n
Britain\u2019s Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson reckons she can break that record time of 1min 53.28sec in London next month. The trouble she faces is that the brilliant 22-year-old Swiss star Audrey Werro has pushed ahead in the race to achieve the two-lap equivalent of landing on the moon.<\/p>\n On a Paris night where the \u00adOlympic 100m champion Noah Lyles endured a shock defeat, and Britain\u2019s Georgia Hunter Bell won over 1500m again, Werro gave further notice of her talent by running the third-fastest 800m in history.<\/p>\n Beforehand, Werro had promised she would take her first proper crack at the world record and she proved as good as her word. She tracked the pacemaker Myrte van der Schoot who went through halfway in 55.35 before cutting loose. She was through 600m in 1:25.27, just outside world-record pace, before finishing in 1:43.80 \u2013 0.18 quicker than when beating Hodgkinson in Stockholm<\/a> this month.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is not the world record but I am still really happy with my time,\u201d Werro said. \u201cI was a little bit late on the 600m mark. But next time I figure I can stay closer to the lights.\u201d<\/p>\n Behind Werro was the Dutch athlete Femke Broeders-Bol, who having won the world 400m hurdles title last\u00a0year has switched to the 800m and ran a big personal best of 1:55.60. However, the race for the world record looks to be between Werro and Hodgkinson.<\/p>\n The Swiss athlete has now run three of the nine fastest 800m times in history in the past three weeks. However, she confirmed afterwards that she will not race over 800m again until she meets Hodgkinson at the European Championships in \u00adBirmingham in August. That pro\u00admises to be some clash with medals \u2013 and possibly more \u2013 on the line.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is easier when I am in a race with other athletes at the same pace as me,\u201d Werro said. \u201cWith Hodgkinson it is always easier to run fast. If the world record is still on in Birmingham I will try in Birmingham.\u201d<\/p>\n