Ostrava sees Werro win 800m, Broeders-Bol impresses on debut, and Lyles sets 150m best

By Ama Serwah — 16 June 2026 — 3 min read

Werro secures another 800m victory

Swiss athlete Audrey Werro continued her strong performance in the women’s 800m, winning at the Ostrava Golden Spike in Czechia. Her victory came with a time of 1 minute and 54.55 seconds, which stands as the eighth-fastest time in history for the event. Werro had previously made an impact two weeks prior in Stockholm, where she achieved a time of 1 minute and 53.98 seconds, marking the third-fastest women’s 800m time ever and the fastest globally for the current year. At Ostrava, she was in contention to break the long-standing record of 1:53.28 set in 1983, maintaining a strong pace through 600m before slightly fading.

The 800m race in Ostrava featured a competitive field, with eight women completing the distance in under two minutes. Werro’s consistent improvement has been noted, particularly after her recent performance where she beat Keely Hodgkinson. Her coach highlighted that while conditions were perfect for her previous fast run, her physical capability for such times is not a surprise.

Broeders-Bol’s 800m debut

Dutch athlete Femke Broeders-Bol made her outdoor debut in the 800m at the Ostrava event, finishing second with a time of 1 minute and 57.13 seconds. This performance positions her as the third-fastest Dutch woman over two laps. Broeders-Bol, who married Belgian pole vaulter Ben Broeders earlier in the year, had announced her intention to change events last year.

Before transitioning to the 800m, Broeders-Bol was a two-time 400m hurdles world champion and a world indoor champion in the flat 400m. She is also recognized as a strong relay athlete, having been a gold medallist anchor leg runner with the Netherlands’ 4x400m team at Paris 2024. Her coach, Laurent Meuwly, expressed confidence in her ability to excel in the 800m, suggesting she could challenge the best in the event. Meuwly had previously indicated that if Broeders-Bol switched to the 800m, it was because he believed the 800m world record was more attainable for her than the 400m hurdles record, noting the historical context of the existing 800m record.

Broeders-Bol’s first 800m race since 2017 was indoors in February, where she set a national record of 1 minute 59.07 seconds before withdrawing from the remainder of the indoor season due to a foot injury. Her coach anticipates she will surprise many in her initial month of competition, looking forward to the new challenge.

Lyles sets new 150m best

In other events at the Ostrava Golden Spike, Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles concluded the night by setting a world’s best over the unofficial distance of 150m. Lyles achieved a time of 14.67 seconds, surpassing the previous fastest time on a curved track, which was 14.92 set by Kishane Thompson of Jamaica.

Australian athletics talent Gout Gout also competed in the 150m race, securing third place with a personal best time of 14.96 seconds, which is also a national record for him. Sinesipho Dambile of South Africa finished second in the race with a time of 14.78, also beating the previous best. This strong finish for Gout followed a challenging start to his Diamond League campaign in Oslo the previous week, where he placed sixth in the 200m.

Source: bbc.co.uk