Keely Hodgkinson optimistic despite Stockholm defeat

A personal best was not enough for Keely Hodgkinson as she was stunned by Audrey Werro at the Diamond League in Stockholm.

The duo both ran incredibly quick times, but it was the Swiss athlete who came out on top with, registering the third-fastest women's 800m time ever.

Herro ran a blistering 1:53.98 seconds, narrowly getting the better of Hodgkinson whose British record time of 1:54.33 was enough to take the runner-up spot. There was a yawning gap to third, where American Roisin Willis came home in 1:57.56.

Although Hodgkinson was defeated on the day, the 800m Olympic champion says she is "excited" for what comes next following her British record effort.

Werro - who took more than a second off her previous best - set a frenetic tempo in the early stages of the race and, despite being headed by Hodgkinson with 300m to go, battled back to come clear at the line.

In February, Hodgkinson smashed the world indoor record in Lievin, France and has set her sights on a potential world record bid later this year.

Speaking after defeat in Stockholm, the 24-year-old said: "It was a quick one, a really interesting race," "When Audrey went off I was like 'just chill', but massive respect to her. That was a great race and it will motivate me more in training to make sure that doesn't happen again."

"I was a little bit apprehensive coming in, not quite knowing exactly where I was with the 800m, because we have been doing some 400 training and are going to put together the 800m now."

Hodgkinson's effort in defeat to Werro was the sixth-fastest time in history, just over a second slower than the long-standing world record time of 1:53.28 set by dual world champion Jarmila Kratochvílová in 1983.

"But it makes me excited because I can build on this great start. It's still very early," Hodgkinson added.

"It's good to have a run in your legs because you can learn what you can do better but overall I am quite happy with that race because I made the right decisions, but Audrey was just better on the day."