Athletissima records fall, but Audrey Werro's 800m world record pursuit continues

At the Athletissima meeting, European 800-meter champion Audrey Werro secured a victory, setting a new meeting record with a time of 1 minute and 55.33 seconds. The 22-year-old Swiss athlete was welcomed back to competition on home soil at the Pontaise stadium.

While Werro dominated her race, her performance fell short of her personal best of 1:53.80 and significantly lagged behind the world record of 1:53.28, set by Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983. This long-standing record is now Werro's primary target.

"I didn't think it would be for tonight," Werro stated after the race, speaking to RTS. "It was very nice to run in Switzerland after quite a few competitions abroad, and I felt in form, but I haven't been back very long and I had a lot of emotions to digest. Do I have this time in my legs? It will require running fast. But... I think I can approach it, at least."

The new track at the Pontaise stadium is designed for record-breaking performances, and several meeting records were indeed broken during the event. However, the prestigious 800-meter world record continues to elude Werro, though she remains optimistic about her ability to challenge it in future races.

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I didn't think it would be for tonight. It was very nice to run in Switzerland after quite a few competitions abroad, and I felt in form, but I haven't been back very long and I had a lot of emotions to digest. Do I have this time in my legs? It will require running fast. But… I think I can approach it, at least.