Lilian Odira Faces Zurich 800m Test Against Werro and Hodgkinson

Lilian Odira will face Audrey Werro and Keely Hodgkinson in the 800m at Weltklasse Zürich on August 27. The meeting comes 13 days after Werro beat Hodgkinson in the European final, recording 1:54.81 to Hodgkinson’s 1:55.01.

Odira arrives as the reigning world champion after winning the 800m at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. Her winning time of 1:54.62 was a personal best and places her eighth on World Athletics’ all-time list for the event.

Werro’s European title strengthened her position among the leading 800m runners. She set a championship record in the final, with Femke Broeders-Bol taking bronze in 1:55.54. The Swiss athlete had reached the final after falling in her semi-final and securing reinstatement through a successful appeal.

Hodgkinson, the Olympic champion, will return to competition against Werro after finishing second in Birmingham. The result added another close chapter to their developing rivalry, while Zurich gives Hodgkinson a chance to respond on a field that also includes the reigning world champion.

Odira has already delivered strongly in major races this season. She won the Prefontaine Classic and took silver in the women’s 800m at the Commonwealth Games, results that underline her record in high-pressure competition.

The Zurich race therefore brings together three athletes with major championship credentials. Werro will seek to extend the momentum from her European triumph, Hodgkinson will attempt to reverse the latest result between them, and Odira will be tested against two of Europe’s leading 800m runners.