Why is the women's 800m record so tough to break?

"Believe you me, that clip of 1:53.28 is astonishing," Jenny Meadows, erstwhile British runner and manager to Hodgkinson, told BBC Sport.

"I won medals connected a planetary level and I could not adjacent comprehend that a pistillate could tally that benignant of time."

But athletes person ne'er been person to breaking it.

Werro has doubly gone nether 1:54 this year, but inactive much than fractional a 2nd from Kratochvilova's record.

Olympic champion Hodgkinson broke the 800m indoor grounds successful February, which had stood since 2002, crossing the enactment successful 1:54.87.

Then there's the Netherlands' Femke Broeders-Bol, inactive mostly an chartless successful the 800m aft deciding to power disciplines from 400m hurdles. But, with small 800m experience, she ran a clip of 1:55.60 seconds astatine the Paris Diamond League lawsuit successful June.

"They're each dragging each different to these unthinkable times. The level of the 800m has risen importantly successful the past 2 years," said Jessica Ennis-Hill, who won heptathlon golden astatine the London 2012 Olympics.

Innovations successful sports subject person edged athletes person too.

"Everyone is going faster than they utilized to beryllium due to the fact that the footwear exertion is truthful overmuch better," University of Exeter prof Andrew Jones told BBC Sport.

Jones specialises successful applied physiology, moving with mediate and long-distance runners to pursuit faster times.

"We cognize much astir assorted supplements, things similar creatine, nitrate, but successful peculiar bicarbonate.

"And we cognize much astir what limits performance".

This includes our knowing of carbohydrates, and however to champion substance for a middle-distance contention similar the 800m.

"It's a spot similar a Formula One contention car," helium added. "You privation the car to transverse the enactment astir bare of fuel. If you've got fractional a vessel left, you've been weighing yourself down."

Now, successful Birmingham, the champion 3 800m runners successful the satellite are looking similar they volition contention a gripping final, if they travel done Thursday's semi-finals. Whether that last volition crook into a much tactical contention oregon make into a conflict of velocity remains to beryllium seen.

"All it takes is 1 idiosyncratic to rise the barroom and you deliberation much things are possible," Hodgkinson told BBC Sport.

"Everyone knows that to support up you person to support getting better. It's a truly breathtaking clip for the women's 800m."