BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Swiss star Audrey Werro was given a spot in the 800-meter final after falling in her semifinal at the European championships Thursday.
The ruling keeps Werro on course for Friday night’s gold medal showdown with reigning Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson and Dutch star Femke Broeders-Bol.
Werro was leading her heat at Alexander Stadium when she fell. Footage showed Anais Bourgoin’s left hand making contact with Werro’s right foot before Werro tumbled on the last bend.
In late June, Werro ran the third fastest women’s time ever: 1 minute, 53.80 seconds.
After Thursday’s fall, she got up and jogged across the line in 2:35.35. She appealed her placing and was successfully advanced to the final.
She said, “Everything was good and suddenly I was on the ground. I just have some scratches and my bib number was ripped off but I’m OK. The body is fine.”
Hodgkinson, the Briton who has frequently talked about wanting to break the 800 world record, won the other semifinal heat in 1:57.38, just ahead of Broeders-Bol, who has impressed in her first year in the 800 after switching from the 400 hurdles.
The women’s 800 world record of 1:53:28 was set in 1983 by Jarmila Kratochvilova.
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