Audrey Werro, the fastest woman this year over 800m, has been handed a lifeline at the European Championships after falling in the semi-finals.The 22-year-old rising Swiss athlete was leading the race at 650m when, around the final bend, she tripped and fell. She got up and finished the semi final in last (eighth) place, with a time of 2:35.35s.Video footage from the reverse angle of the fall shows that Werro’s right foot connected with the left arm of French athlete Anais Bourgoin. That caused Werro’s right foot to turn inwards and then she clipped her left calf, stumbling onto the rail as she hit the track.Great Britain’s Jemma Reekie won the race (1:58.61s) at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, England, navigating the chaos to move up the field from fourth at 600m. Bourgoin finished second and third-place Veronica Vancardo, the other Swiss athlete, also advanced to Sunday’s final.“I don’t know, I can’t explain what happened,” a slightly dazed Werro told reporters, speaking in French, in the mixed zone. “I have to see what happened in the video. While I was running, I felt good, and a second after, I was on the floor. It seemed like there was a lot of movement at the back, maybe my foot was touched.”A floored Werro inadvertently took out Gabija Galvydyte of Lithuania, who also got up to finish in 2:03.59s, with the rules clear that athletes must finish in order to appeal.European Athletics later confirmed Werro had been given the benefit of the doubt by the referee and advanced to Sunday’s final. Galvydyte also advanced, though much sooner than Werro. “We’re going to see what we can do, if it’s possible to discuss (with officials), to make the final,” she said in the mixed zone, shortly before being reinstated.