Switzerland’s Audrey Werro and Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh have been voted Athletes of the Month for June 2026.
Five female and five male athletes were nominated for the accolade based purely on their exploits throughout June with fan voting taking place across the week on the European Athletics website.
Werro’s 800m advancement
Audrey Werro has moved through the ranks of 800m running to such an extent that the rising Swiss star is also within touching distance of Jarmila Kratochvilova’s long-standing world record of 1:53.28, a mark which has endured on the record books since 1983.
Werro broke the 1:54-barrier not once but twice in June, becoming the first athlete in history to achieve multiple 1:53 clockings for the distance. After clocking 1:53.98 in Stockholm for an upset victory over Keely Hodgkinson, Werro improved to 1:53.80 in Paris to inch even closer to the world record.
And in between those two triumphs on the Diamond League circuit, Werro rewrote the record books with a 1:22.85 clocking over 600m on home soil in Biel to break the European best which belonged to Hodgkinson.
What she said:
On her excellent form this summer…
"I had a really good indoor season and a really good start to the outdoor season. I feel that the biggest change in my life is the fact that I have become a professional athlete. I am no longer at school, and I must say it was tough to juggle both activities. Now, there is no excuse as I have all the time in the world to just focus on training, recovering and the sport itself."
On looking ahead to the rest of 2026…
"Like many, I had my struggles, but now it is going well. I was not expecting to run this fast this season. These recent performances have really given me hope and built my confidence for what is coming next.”
On the prospect of challenging the world record…
"It is easier when I am in a race with other athletes at the same pace as me. With Hodgkinson it is always easier to run fast. If the world record is still on in Birmingham, I will try in Birmingham."
Ceh’s 70m-plus consistency
Kristjan Ceh competed extensively throughout June, winning three of his five competitions in the discus. The high points included victory at the Slovenian Championships with a season’s best of 71.86m, the longest throw achieved outside Ramona in 2026, and victories at World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meetings in Turku and Zagreb.
In Zagreb, Ceh broke the 70 metre-barrier for the second in June, and the sixth time this season, with 70.32m in the sixth round for a last gasp victory over in-form Brit Lawrence Okoye.
What he said:
On winning in Zagreb with his last throw…
"When you are the last thrower, and you are currently in second place, you need to do it all, give your best. Every competition over 70 meters is a great competition, it's not easy to throw this result which is, in my opinion, worth a medal at the European Championship in Birmingham, if not a win."