BBC Sport commentator Steve Cram has criticised European Championship officials after Swiss runner Audrey Werro was handed a spot in the 800m final following an investigation. Werro, a rival to Keely Hodgkinson, appeared to trip herself as she neared the final straight in her semi-final, finishing last, but was given a reprieve.
Fall and Appeal
Werro tumbled to the track while going round the final bend before getting back to her feet and completing the race. BBC footage appeared to show the 22-year-old clipping her own leg before going down, though she admitted she would challenge the outcome. Upon further examination, Anais Bourgoin was found to have disrupted Werro's rhythm with a slight touch on her foot, causing the fall.
Cram's Criticism
Despite the appeal, Cram took a different view, saying: "Look, she tripped herself, that's reasonably evident. But look, we all want to see the best athletes in the final, even Keely said that." He added: "Referees have had a look at it, Galvydyt definitely should have been advanced as it wasn't her fault she tripped. Yes the push and shove of 800m running, these sort of things happen."
Impact on the Final
Cram noted that Werro's inclusion changes the dynamics of the final, saying: "Keely would have had one plan for Femke (Broeders-Bol), there was only Femke, but now she's going to go back to thinking about both of them." He also questioned whether Werro would be psychologically ready after the fall, but concluded: "We're getting the final that we wanted."
Hodgkinson, who won her own semi-final, said in a BBC interview: "I heard an 'oooh' which is never a good sign. But I don't know what it looked like. Obviously it's a real shame. I hope she's okay and I hope she's in the final tomorrow, that would be a really exciting race."
