Addy Wiley sets 1:57.65 800m personal best at Gala dei Castelli 2023

(Sept. 4) — Addy Wiley, a rising American talent, set a new personal best of 1:57.64 in the women’s 800m at the Gala dei Castelli 2023, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver series event in Bellinzona, Switzerland, on Monday.

Entering the competition with a previous personal best of 1:59.00, set in Memphis on Aug. 4, the 19-year-old shattered that mark to finish second. She trailed Jamaica’s Natoya Goule-Toppin, who set a meeting record with a time of 1:57.53.

Paced by Polish runner Aneta Lemiesz through the opening 400m in 56.57 seconds, Goule-Toppin took the lead with 200m remaining and fended off a strong finish from Wiley. In doing so, she broke the previous meeting record of 1:58.10.

Another standout performance came from Swiss runner Audrey Werro. The 19-year-old clocked a time of 1:58.13, setting a new personal best and a national U20 record. The European U20 champion improved upon her previous national age group record of 1:59.50, while posting the fourth-best European U20 time in history, according to the European Athletics rankings.

Today’s event saw nine of the 12 finishers break the two-minute mark in the women’s 800m in what was an exciting contest from start to finish.

Gala dei Castelli 2023 Women’s 800m Results:

Rank	Name	Country	Time	Denote
1	Natoya Goule-Toppin	Jamaica	1:57,53	MR
2	Addy Wiley	United States	1:57,64	PB
3	Audrey Werro	Switzerland	1:58,13	NR, NR, SL
4	Rénelle Lamote	France	1:58,42	SB
5	Lore Hoffmann	Switzerland	1:58,73	SB
6	Gabriela Gajanová	Slovakia	1:58,78	PB
7	Elena Bellò	Italy	1:59,15	SB
8	Rachel Pellaud	Switzerland	1:59,40	PB
9	Noélie Yarigo	Benin	1:59,75
10	Agnès Raharolahy	France	2:01,80
DNF	Aneta Lemiesz	Poland	Pacer.	DNF