Lilian Odira unleashed a stunning late surge to win the women’s 800m at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, shattering the oldest championship record with a remarkable time of 1:54.62.
The race was initially controlled by defending champion Mary Moraa, who set the pace for the first lap with Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson positioned closely behind her. As the two pre-race favourites began their final kick with 300 metres remaining, Odira matched their acceleration from further back in the pack.
On the final straight, Moraa faded as Hodgkinson battled to hold on. However, Odira stormed down the outside in the last 100 metres to seize a decisive victory. The fight for silver came down to the wire, with Georgia Hunter Bell pipping her British teammate at the line to finish in 1:54.90, just one-hundredth of a second ahead of Hodgkinson, who took bronze in 1:54.91.
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