It was billed as the race of the championship and, for the neutral, it did not disappoint. For Keely Hodgkinson, however, it was confirmation of a new reality. Switzerland's Audrey Werro, fresh from suffering a heavy fall in Thursday's semi-final, confirmed her status as the new pre-eminent force in women's 800m running by holding off the British Olympic champion in a thrilling finish.
Werro had become the first woman for more than 40 years to run under 1min 54sec earlier this summer and, in blustery conditions, this was arguably even better. Going to the front in the first lap, Werro showed rare power and maturity at the age of 22 to control the pace before a tense finish down the home straight.
Werro (right) had too much in the end for Hodgkinson – Michael Steele/Getty Images
Having taken the lead when she lost to Werro in Stockholm, Hodgkinson had waited this time in Werro's slipstream before moving out from the inside line in the home straight in an attempt to win a third consecutive European title. It looked, for a split second, like she had timed her run to perfection. Werro, though, is strong as well as fast and responded stride for stride in the last 50m to hold the gap of about a metre and prevail in a championship record 1min 54.81sec. The previous best had been set way back in 1982. Hodgkinson was just two tenths behind in 1min 55.01 to hold off Femke Broeders-Bol, who set a Dutch record of 1min 54.54 to clinch bronze.
"I think I'd be happier with a gold," said Hodgkinson, after being congratulated by Iwan Thomas. "It was a great race – I love a challenge. I'm sure we will have many more battles."
It wasn't to be for Hodgkinson – Maja Hitij/Getty Images
They will and with Broeders-Bol now in the mix, the 800m promises to be a blue riband race in athletics for years to come. But, having twice trounced Werro in indoor races earlier this year, Hodgkinson had again been beaten fair and square.
Zharnel Hughes also added silver to the British medal haul in the 200m – his fourth in individual races at the European Championships – after being overhauled in the finishing straight by Germany's Owen Ansah. The winning time of 19.95sec gave Ansah a clear margin of victory, but the German is facing a potential sanction from his national anti-doping agency, which is investigating whether he missed a test.
Ansah, who is the first German sprinter ever to run under 10sec for the 100 metres, has been permitted to compete while the German agency completes a "results management process".
Ansah, who improved his German record to 9.98sec last month, also took bronze in the men's 100m behind Romell Glave and Jeremiah Azu, the British sprinters. It is believed, however, that the German team may not select him for the 4x100m relay for fear that the medal could be rescinded if he is subsequently sanctioned. It was the first sprint event at these championships which was not won by a British athlete.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson, meanwhile, endured a forgettable start in the women's heptathlon when she produced her slowest-ever major championship time in the 100m hurdles of 14.00sec. That came after a drone had delayed the start by flying into a hurdle. That left her 15th, although she briefly moved into the top 10 with a clearance of 1.83m in the high jump.
It left her throwing only in the B group in the shot put – not a favourite event – where she managed 12.71m to slip back down to 15th again. The sense that Johnson-Thompson was not herself was further confirmed in the 200m where she ran 24.50sec to complete the first day 16th out of the 22 remaining competitors.
It was a difficult day for Katarina Johnson-Thompson in the heptathlon – Michael Steele/Getty Images
Johnson-Thompson has been a major championship performer of vast consistency in recent years – with three straight global medals – but her summer has been undermined by injury. She had already pulled out of the Commonwealth Games with a calf problem.
Ireland's Kate O'Connor, fresh from winning the Commonwealth title, had a far better day, finishing the morning only a single point behind leader Adrianna Sulek-Schubert after equalling her lifetime best in the high jump with a clearance of 1.86m. She lost ground on the Pole in the shot put before a fast 200m nudged her back to within 24 points going into the final day.