History in Stockholm: Audrey Werro runs first sub-1:54 women’s 800m since 1983 to stun Keely Hodgkinson

Sunday’s BAUHAUS-galan in Stockholm was the best meet of the 2026 Diamond League season so far. On a glorious 70-degree evening in the Swedish capital, the fans in the 114-year-old Olympic Stadium got to witness the following events:

-Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson run a 1:54.33 personal best in the women’s 800…and lose

-Switzerland’s Audrey Werro run the first 1:53 by a woman’s 800m runner in almost 43 years

-17-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus run 1:42.70 to win his Diamond League debut

And that was just the 800s.

There was also a second straight Diamond League victory for America’s Yared Nuguse, who ran down Cam Myers to take the 1500 in 3:30.11, and a sweep of the short sprints by the Americans as Star Athletics teammates Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (10.84, +0.8) and Kenny Bednarek (19.87, +1.0) won the women’s 100 and men’s 200.

It was a sensational day of competition. The only complaint the home fans can have is that Swedish hero Mondo Duplantis was beaten in the pole vault by Australia’s Kurtis Marschall (5.90m to 5.80m) to snap Duplantis’ 40-meet win streak and hand him his first defeat since July 2023.

We covered Lutkenhaus’s win in a separate article here: ‘Like Science Fiction’: Teen phenom Cooper Lutkenhaus runs 1:42.70, takes down 800m field in Stockholm. We break down the top events below, starting with the fastest women’s 800 for decades. *Full results

You can watch our post-race video show below. Join the Supporters Club today to get it as a podcast. 

Women’s 800: Werro beats Hodgkinson, becomes first woman under 1:54 in more than four decades

With Hodgkinson making her outdoor 800 opener after running an indoor world record of 1:54.87 this winter, expectations were high for the women’s 800 in Stockholm. Especially when the pacing assignments were announced, with the Wavelight set for 1:54.00.

The first racer was actually ahead of the green lights at 400 (55.8), but surprisingly it was not Hodgkinson but Werro, the World Indoor silver medalist who opened her outdoor season with a 1:56.56 win in Rabat last weekend. Hodgkinson moved to the front on the back straight, and even though she was still right on the lights, the Olympic champion could not shake the 22-year-old Swiss athlete. 

Werro drew level in the home straight, then surged ahead to win in 1:53.98, a Diamond League record and an improvement of nearly two seconds on her 1:55.91 pb from last year’s DL final in Zurich. Hodgkinson’s 1:54.33 was also an improvement on her 1:54.61 pb from London in 2024, but it was not enough for the win on this night.

MB AUDREY MF WERRO, 1:53.98 WL

Quick Take: For many track fans, Werro’s run today is the world record

Werro was already well-known to track fans before today. She was the World U20 silver medalist in 2022 behind American Roisin Willis, won the Diamond League title last season, and ran 1:56.64 at World Indoors in March, an indicator that she could run very fast this year outdoors. 

But no one expected her to go this fast. At World Indoors, there was a clear gap between Hodgkinson and Werro – the two were not on the same level. Now, after a 1.93-second pb – an almost unheard-of leap at this level – Werro is not only at the Brit’s level, she has run faster than Hodgkinson ever has. Even Werro admitted that she was in shock after the race.

“It’s really crazy, I need some time to process what just happened now but I am so happy with my time and everything,” Werro said.

Courtesy Diamond League AG

Werro and Hodgkinson now sit #3 and #6 on the world all-time list in the women’s 800.

All-time list, women’s 800m

The list above is very messy. The top two times were set more than four decades ago, by women from countries that no longer exist. And while Kratochvilova and Olizarenko were never sanctioned for doping offenses – Kratochvilova continues to deny doping – their times are suspect considering the accusations of state-sponsored doping by Eastern Bloc countries during the 1970s and 1980s. Meanwhile Semenya, like several other top 800 women in the 2000s and 2010s, was known to be intersex, benefiting from levels of testosterone well beyond the typical female range.

As a result, many track fans will view Werro’s time today as the real world record and the first legitimate 1:53.

You’ll also notice that three of the top eight women above are currently active – Werro, Hodgkinson, and world champion Lilian Odira. While Kratochvilova’s 1:53.28 is still a ways off, there is hope that the oldest world record in an Olympic event could finally go down in the not-too-distant future.

Quick Take: Keely Hodgkinson handled her defeat with class and says the world record is still her goal in London on July 18

If you told us Hodgkinson would run a 1:54.33 personal best today in her first outdoor 800 of the year, we would have classified it as a massive success. The fact that Hodgkinson was beaten today does not mean that she ran poorly. It just means that Werro was sensational.

Hodgkinson ran this one exactly how she should have. She let Werro have the lead early but still came through 400 in 56.2. She took the lead on the back straight and trusted that Werro would fade in the final 100m. There is no way she could have known that Werro was about to PR by almost two seconds.

As it was, Hodgkinson helped keep the pace going once the rabbit dropped and helped spur Werro on to a fast time, but she handled her defeat with class.

“Massive respect to Audrey – that was incredible racing from her and she helped me to run faster today, I was glad of her pushing me throughout the race and then fighting me to the line at the end – but I won’t let that happen again,” Hodgkinson said. “I wasn’t expecting that from her today and I thought she’d come back to me at the end, but such a surprise is good for me and for each other, and it’s really great for the event, it’s getting so much faster now.”

Hodgkinson said that she has also been focused on improving her 400 in training recently, but that her aim will shift back to the 800 moving forward.

“The world record is still my goal in London next month, I still believe I can do it,” Hodgkinson said.

Hodgkinson is still more than a second away from Kratochvilova’s time, but this was still an encouraging run. If Hodgkinson can stay healthy between now and the weather cooperates in London on July 18, it’s not unreasonable to expect a time in the 1:53s.

Quick Take: The women’s 800 is on fire right now

After Odira’s upset victory at Worlds last year, Werro’s win today, and Hodgkinson’s world record indoors, the women’s 800 is one of the most exciting events in track right now, with multiple big-time talents overlapping. Hodgkinson’s WR attempt in London will be must-watch TV, as will her rematch against Werro on home soil in the European Championships in Birmingham in August.

Discussing all of these top talents does make us wonder what 2021 Olympic and 2022 world champion Athing Mu-Nikolayev is up to. Even though she ran 1:55 at age 19 and is still only 23, Mu-Nikolayev has not broken 1:58 since 2023 and has not announced any plans to race yet in 2026.

MB Werro makes me miss prime Mu even more.

Quick Take: Roisin Willis ran a nice pb in her Diamond League debut

Willis was boxed in for much of the race and still only 10th with 100 to go, but finally found room to run after moving out to lane 4 on the home straight and picked off most of the field to finish 3rd in a pb of 1:57.56 (previous best 1:59.97 from indoors). That’s a very encouraging DL debut for the 21-year-old and indicates she could have even more in the tank in a race where the main pack is not bunched together so tightly.

Men’s 1500: Cam Myers isn’t quite ready to be the Jakob Ingebrigtsen of the back half of the 2020s as Nuguse wins his second straight DL

In the final event of the evening, the men’s 1500, the pace lights were set at the meeting record time of 3:29.30. Aussie teenager Cam Myers (he turns 20 on Tuesday) was right on the rabbits and for good reason: Myers came into this one in sensational form, having won all seven of his races this year, including an unrabbited 3:29 performance at the Aussie champs.

However, Myers wasn’t able to drop Nuguse on the last lap and Nuguse came by him in the closing meters to get the win in 3:30.11 to Myers’ 3:30.32. While the turns in Stockholm are tighter than on most tracks, it certainly was surprising that Myers ran slower than he did in Australia, particularly since he ran a big 800 pb last weekend.

Nuguse has now won back-to-back DLs and is the most accomplished men’s American distance runner in the history of the DL circuit by a long shot.

DL distance wins by American men

6 – Yared Nuguse
4 – Donavan Brazier
1 – 12 others tied

Nuguse has been on a revenge tour this year after failing to make the US team for last year’s World Championships. So far, it’s going very well.

“2026 is all about me getting my reputation back and showing everyone and proving to myself that I’m still a threat,” Nuguse said.

On Wednesday, Nuguse will try to extend the win streak to three in a row in Oslo in a race that will include Myers and all three of the medallists from Worlds last year.

Courtesy Diamond League AG

Quick Take: Myers’ run was a reminder how difficult it is to win from the front at the highest level

There was a lot of hype around Myers’ DL opener given his undefeated start to the year, but today’s run was a reminder of just how difficult it can be to win from the front. Myers, of course, did just that at the Aussie champs in April, but tonight’s field was stronger and there was significant wind on the back straight. Timothy Cheruiyot and Jakob Ingebrigtsen were able to consistently win from the front on the DL circuit at their peaks, but to do that, you have to be significantly better than your competition since you are taking the wind and giving the rest of the field a target to shoot at.

This was still Myers’ best DL finish, but he is hoping for more when he races next in the Dream Mile in Oslo.

“It was a very frustrating race,” Myers said. “It’s hard to be disappointed with a 3:30 but I did want more as I am in great shape.”

It was a tough day for the Swedes

While the Stockholm fans got to enjoy a magical night in many events, it wasn’t a good day for the Swedish athletes. In the pole vault, Mondo Duplantis’ 40-meet win streak came to an end as he only cleared 5.80. Aussie Kurtis Marschall won his first DL with a 5.90m clearance.

“I felt a bit unfocused today and I really did not want to lose here in front of my family and fans. I have not lost in what, three years? But hats off to Kurtis today who beat me fair and square and I have no excuses,” said Duplantis. “I am not angry and I will continue enjoying my time here in Stockholm with my family. I am also getting married soon so unlucky in sports, lucky in love if that’s a saying?”

Tough one for the Swedish fans to see their hero Mondo lose on home soil.

Kurtis Marschall snaps Duplantis’ 40-meet win streak, Mondo’s first loss since July 2023. https://t.co/SvwV3okKK3

— Jonathan Gault (@jgault13) June 7, 2026

In the 1500, Samuel Pihlström was just 14th (3:34.53) and Andreas Almgren last (14th, 3:36.81).

It wasn’t all disappointment for Sweden, however, as Daniel Ståhl won the discus with a seasonal best 69.60m throw.

Bouzayani runs third straight sub-9:00 in women’s steeple; El Bakkali wins again in men’s steeple

The Big Three of the women’s steeple – Faith Cherotich, Winfred Yavi, and Peruth Chemutai – all sat this one out, which left an opportunity for last year’s 4th placer at Worlds, Tunisia’s Marwa Bouzayani. After running 8:58.09 and 8:59.25 in the two Chinese DL meets, she requested a pace of 8:51 in Stockholm and went out even faster than that, hitting 1k in 2:55.51 after passing the pacer before 800. Bouzayani wouldn’t hold that furious pace, but she got her third sub-9:00 of the year, running 8:59.28 to win by a monstrous 11 seconds.

Courtesy Diamond League AG

Five Americans were in this race, including US champion Lexy Halladay-Lowry, who had been the best American on the circuit so far in 2026. But today she was beaten by Gabbi Jennings, who clocked a US-leading 9:12.02 for 3rd.

In the men’s steeple, Soufiane El Bakkali was content to rely on his kick in Stockholm after running 7:57 in Rabat last week and won comfortably in 8:10.40. World champ Geordie Beamish followed up his disastrous 13th place in Rabat by running a more competitive 8:13 for 5th today.

Full results appear below. Full field series can be found here. Talk about the meet on our messageboard.

Talk about the meet on our messageboard:

• MB: Official 2026 Stockholm DL discussion thread
• MB My God. The greatest teen phenom our sport has ever seen. Cooper MF Lutkenhaus 1:42.70 FTW in Stockholm!!
• AUDREY MF WERRO, 1:53.98 WL

Men’s 800m Recap: ‘Like Science Fiction’: Teen phenom Cooper Lutkenhaus runs 1:42.70, takes down 800m field in Stockholm

2026 Stockholm Diamond League Results

BAUHAUS-galan — Stockholm Olympic Stadium, June 7, 2026

200m Men

Wind: +1.0 m/s

400m Hurdles Men

800m Men

1500m Men

3000m Steeplechase Men

400m Men

Women

100m Women

Wind: +0.8 m/s

800m Women

3000m Steeplechase Women

Field Events

Discus Throw Women

Pole Vault Men

Shot Put Women

Long Jump Women

Discus Throw Men

Non Diamond Leaguef Events

800m Men — National

800m Women — Promotional

100m Men — Promotional

Wind: +0.5 m/s

1500m Women

Legend: PB = personal best; SB = season best; NR = national record; MR = meeting record; WL = world lead; DLR = Diamond League record; PM = pacemaker; DNF = did not finish; DNS = did not start; DQ = disqualified; =PB = tied personal best.