Werro gets spot in 800m final after tumble in semifinal at European championships

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Swiss runner Audrey Werro secured a spot in the 800-meter final following a fall during the semifinals at the European championships on Thursday. Werro was leading her heat at Alexander Stadium when she tumbled on the final bend, after Anais Bourgoin's left hand made contact with her right foot. Despite the setback, Werro managed to finish the race in 2:35.35 and appealed her placing, which was later upheld by officials.

The victory puts Werro on track for a showdown with reigning Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson and Dutch star Femke Broeders-Bol in Friday night's gold medal match. In late June, Werro set the third-fastest women's time ever with a 1:53.80. Following the fall, she expressed that she was unharmed, with only scratches and a ripped bib number.

Hodgkinson, aiming to break the 800-meter world record, won the other semifinal with a time of 1:57.38. The current women's world record of 1:53.28 was established in 1983 by Jarmila Kratochvilova.