Amy Hunt and Keely Hodgkinson were the standout British performers at the fifth Diamond League meeting of 2026 in Stockholm, both setting new personal bests. While Hunt produced the fastest European 100m time of the year and became only the fourth British woman in history to break the 11-second barrier, Olympic 800m champion Hodgkinson endured a more bittersweet evening. Beaten in her first competitive outing of the year over her preferred distance, the British athlete nevertheless set a new national record in what proved to be a historic race.
Amy Hunt and Keely Hodgkinson headline a mixed night for British athletics
With triple world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden in the field, victory appeared almost out of reach for the rest of the competitors. Nevertheless, Amy Hunt delivered the breakthrough performance she had been chasing for years. Finishing second behind the American in 10.97 (+0.8 m/s), the world silver medallist became the first European woman to dip below 11 seconds this season, a mark later matched on the same day by Poland’s Ewa Swoboda with 10.99.
That performance places Hunt in an exclusive club alongside Dina Asher-Smith, Daryll Neita and Imani Lansiquot, the only other British women to have broken the 11-second barrier. At 24 years old, she now sits atop the British rankings for 2026 over 100m and further strengthens her credentials as one of the leading contenders for the upcoming European Championships.
A few minutes later, another British athlete would find herself in the spotlight, although under far more unexpected circumstances.
Since claiming Olympic gold and establishing near-total dominance over the event, Keely Hodgkinson had appeared to be the athlete most likely to challenge the long-standing women’s 800m world record in the coming years. Stockholm was expected to serve primarily as the starting point of her outdoor 800m campaign following a preparation period that had included a significant focus on 400m speed work. The reality turned out to be very different.
Once the pacemaker stepped aside, Hodgkinson moved to the front and injected the strong pace that has become her trademark. Yet Audrey Werro remained glued to her shoulder throughout, never appearing remotely stretched. As they entered the home straight, the Swiss athlete launched her decisive move and left the Brit with no answer over the closing metres.
The clock stopped at a remarkable 1:53.98 for Werro. It represented an improvement of almost two seconds on her previous personal best, a new Diamond League record, the fastest time in the world this year and, most significantly, the third-fastest women’s 800m performance in history behind only Jarmila Kratochvílová and Nadezhda Olizarenko.
In almost any other race in history, Hodgkinson’s performance would have been the story of the night — and most likely a winning one. Finishing second in 1:54.33, the British star nevertheless lowered her own national record by nearly three-tenths of a second, improving on the 1:54.61 she set in 2024.
Despite the defeat, there were plenty of positives to take away. In her first official 800m race of the year, following several months of training that focused heavily on pure speed, Hodgkinson demonstrated that she is already in outstanding physical condition. Producing a personal best and national record on her seasonal debut suggests there is still significant room for improvement as the summer progresses.
The Olympic champion is now expected to continue building momentum at the British Championships, although it remains unclear which event she will contest – before a highly anticipated appearance at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene at the beginning of July.
