<\/p>\n
Each time the leading women’s 800m trio have met this season, it has been billed as one of the races of the year. Each time, it has delivered enthralling action.<\/p>\n
Since beginning 2026 with a dominant indoor season in which she won world indoor gold and broke the indoor 800m world record, Hodgkinson has been second-best in meetings with Werro.<\/p>\n
Making remarkable progress in her first season as a full-time athlete, Werro continues to uncover what, increasingly, appears to be potential of history-making proportions since completing her university studies.<\/p>\n
Forty-three years had passed since a woman had run a sub-1:54 800m before this season. Werro achieved that three times this summer to close in on Jarmila Kratochvilova’s 1983 record of 1:53.28.<\/p>\n
Although not required to go as fast on this occasion, she showed her maturity by controlling the final before surging to victory.<\/p>\n
Hodgkinson will be pleased to have still had enough to overhaul two-time world 400m hurdles champion Broeders-Bol, who has made rapid progress in her first season since switching events.<\/p>\n
On her burgeoning rivalry with Werro and Broeders-Bol, Hodgkinson said: “I honestly love it. I think it’s really great for our sport and for women’s sport to have so many amazing women pushing each other.<\/p>\n
“I’m happy to be part of it. Hopefully, next time, I’ll come out on top.<\/p>\n
“I’m always there fighting. That’s something to be proud of and take into the future. I’m only 24 and hopefully I’ll be around for a lot longer.”<\/p>\n
Although she missed out on the title, Hodgkinson, who will end her season at Athlos next weekend, pocketed $75,000 (\u00a355,000) for her efforts.<\/p>\n
Athletes are competing for the biggest prize pot in the sport’s history at the Ultimat Championship, with a total of $10m (\u00a37.4m) on offer across three days of action.<\/p>\n
It is hoped that the condensed, innovative format, introduced to bring together the world’s best athletes at the end of a season which otherwise would have lacked a global championship, can help shape the sport’s future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n