ATHERTON'S Keely Hodgkinson won a medal in tonight's eagerly anticipated European Championships women's 800m final, but it wasn't the colour she wanted.
The two-time defending champion kicked for home and kicked again in the final straight, but Swiss rival Audrey Werro was able to hold on to her two-metre lead to take the gold in championship record time.
Olympic champion Hodgkinson came up just short of a coveted European 800 metres title hat-trick.
She started quicker, but the 24-year-old was just behind Werro as they rounded the final bend.
Just when it looked as though the former Leigh Harriers junior was gaining on her rival, Werro would inch away again.
Werro held her line and crossed the finish in a Championship record 1min 54.81secs.
Hodgkinson claimed silver in 1:55.01 and the Netherlands’ Femke-Broeders Bol took bronze in a national record 1:55.54.
Speaking to the BBC, Hodgkinson said: "There's a bit of mixed emotions.
"At this level of competition any medal is a really good achievement so it's another one to add to my collection. I'll never be disappointed with that.
"But I'm defending champion and I wanted to do it again.
"I knew it was going to come down to the wire and I really thought I was going to win but I guess it just wasn't meant to be. I didn't do anything wrong, it's just one of those things."
She added: "I think there were so many ways it could have played out.
"It was all down to we'd figure it out in the first 100 metres.
"Audrey wanted to take it on and with that wind I was happy to let her.
"We're all really great athletes and it was going to be close. I look forward to the next match-up.
"I've said all year it's really motivating to be in such a competitive event. I love it, I think it brings the best out in me.
"Sometimes you race and you don't know how it's going to go. Some people have a good day, some people have a bad day. I've had a pretty good day today I think but it just didn't go the way I wanted it to."
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