Keely Hodgkinson removed her silver medal after finishing runner-up in the 800m final at the European Championships in Birmingham. The Olympic and defending champion ran 1:55.01 but could not retain her crown in a tightly fought race.
Swiss athlete Audrey Werro, who recovered from a dramatic fall in her semi-final, won in 1:54.81, setting a new championship record. Femke Broeders-Bol finished third, setting a new national record for the Netherlands after recently switching from the 400m.
Mixed emotions after the race
Hodgkinson could not hide her disappointment in a post-race interview, taking off her silver medal after missing out on gold. Speaking to the BBC, she said: "I'm kidding, that was a joke. Yeah, a bit of mixed emotions. I think with that level of competition, any medal is a really good achievement."
She added: "So another one to add to my collection. I can never be disappointed with that. But yeah, I'm defending champion, so I wanted to do that."
Race tactics and looking ahead
Werro led from the outset. When asked if that was part of the plan, Hodgkinson said: "I think there were so many different ways it could play out. It was all down to figuring out the first 100 metres. Audrey wanted to take it on. With that wind, I was happy to let her."
She continued: "But yeah, we're all really great athletes and I knew it was going to be close. I look forward to the next match-up."
Despite finishing second, the 24-year-old said competing against such high-calibre athletes brings out the best in her. She said: "I've said all year it's really motivating to be in such a competitive event. I love it. I think it brings out the best in me."
She concluded: "Championship racing is what it's all about. You don't know how it's going to go. Some people can have a good day. Some people can have a bad day. I had a pretty good day today, I think. It just didn't go the way that I wanted it to."
