Hodgkinson avoids chaos to secure place in European 800m finals

Keely Hodgkinson is hoping for a ‘clean race with no falling over’ after advancing to the European 800m final on a dramatic afternoon in Birmingham.

Hodgkinson won the second semi-final in 1:57.38 to keep her a bid for a continental hat-trick on track at the Alexander Stadium.

It was a more serene race than the opening semi, which saw Audrey Werro – the Swiss star who holds the world lead and is Hodgkinson’s main rival for gold – take a tumble on the final bend.

Werro picked herself up to stumble over the finish line and a successful appeal saw the 22-year-old reinstated for Friday night’s final, set to be one of the highlights of the week, despite the fact she appeared to clip her own leg.

Hodgkinson was pleased to avoid the chaos in her race and told the BBC: “I heard the 'oooh', which is never a good sign, I don't know what it looked like.

“You can't worry about what happened to other people, but I hope she's ok.”

Hodgkinson held off the challenge of another top contender, Dutch ace Femke Broeders-Bol, who has won 400m hurdles gold at the last two European Championships.

“Another 1:57, so I'm happy,” Hodgkinson added.

“The excitement makes me excited. I love a good challenge, and I hope for a clean race with no falling over and no wind. I'm going to talk to an Esty witch to make sure there's no wind."

Jemma Reekie took advantage of Werro’s fall to ensure there will be two Brits among the 10 competitors in the showpiece.

The Scot produced a strong finish to win her action-packed semi in 1:58.61 and seal her place among the elite.

“It just shows anything can happen in championship racing and I’m just glad I switched on enough to move around it,” she said.

“I heard somebody go down but I didn’t know who it was, I was just focused on getting to the finish line.

“That was a carefree Jemma. I didn’t panic, I’m really proud as that was really tough and there were some fallers in there. Having had a fall, I know how much that can throw you, so I just tried to stay calm.”

Werro said: "I was feeling really great until the last moment but unfortunately something happened and I was on the ground one second after.”

Lithuania’s Gabija Galvydyte, who was also caught up in the Werro incident and fell in the tangle of legs, was also reinstated to the final.

Novuna is the Official Finance Partner of British Athletics and proud sponsor of the GB & NI Athletics Team. From everyday goals to world-class dreams, Novuna backs the ambition of millions across the UK — from supporting British businesses and individuals’ plans, to powering British Athletics on the global stage. Find out more at www.novuna.co.uk