Anita Horvat sets Paavo Nurmi Games meeting record with 1:58.73 PB

Anita Horvat of Slovenia delivered an outstanding performance at the 2023 Paavo Nurmi Games, setting a new personal best and meeting record of 1:58.73 in the women's 800 meters race in Turku on Tuesday (13). Her time surpassed the previous meeting record of 1:59.84, set by Italy's Elena Bellò in 2022.

Horvat came into the event with a lifetime best of 1:58.96 and had recorded a season's best of 2:00.70. The European Indoor silver medalist executed a strong and strategic race, exceeding both her previous marks and triumphing over a highly competitive field. Impressively, five out of the eight finishers in the race achieved sub-two-minute times.

Prudence Sekgodisa of South Africa, a bronze medalist at the African Championships, finished in second place with a season-best time of 1:58.87. Jemma Reekie of Great Britain claimed third place with a time of 1:59.41. Read more: Maia Ramsden sets PB, wins 1500m at NCAA Championships; Tuohy fades to 7th

Halimah Nakaayi from Uganda, the 2019 world champion, followed closely in fourth place, clocking 1:59.51, with Finland's Eveliina Määttänen achieved a personal best of 1:59.96, topping her previous best of 2:01.14.

In the men's 800m race in Turku, Benjamin Robert of France, the European Indoor Championships silver medalist, delivered a strong finish in the final 50 meters to secure the victory in 1.44.40. Clayton Murphy of the United States posted a solid time of 1:44.91 to finish in second place, followed closely by Sweden's Andreas Kramer in third place with a time of 1:44.95.

Ferguson Rotich from Kenya, the Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, finished fourth with a time of 1:45.19.

Here are the final results of the Women's 800m:

1. Anita Horvat - Slovenia - 1:58.73 (PB, Meeting Record)
2. Prudence Sekgodisa - South Africa - 1:58.87 (SB)
3. Jemma Reekie - Great Britain - 1:59.41
4. Halimah Nakaayi - Uganda - 1:59.51
5. Eveliina Määttänen - Finland (Espoon Tapiot) - 1:59.96 (PB)
6. Catriona Bisset - Australia - 2:00.07
7. Christina Hering - Germany - 2:01.93
8. Ellie Sanford - Australia - 2:02.14
9. Anna Wielgosz - Poland - 2:02.85
10. Brooke Feldmeier - United States - 2:08.01 (SB)
11. Aneta Lemiesz - Poland - DNF