The 800-metre world record for women has been held for more than 40 years, and Keely Hodgkinson is determined to overcome it.
The 22-year-old athlete is inspired to break one of the oldest track world records after winning gold in the distance at the Olympic Games in Paris.
With this goal in mind, the athlete admitted: “It’s definitely something I’ve thought about since I raced in London… I think that record has stood for so long. It’s been a long time since anyone has hit [one minute] 53 seconds, so I’d love to do that.”
In July 1983, at Munich’s Olympic Stadium, Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova set a record for the 800 metres with a time of one minute, 53.28 seconds. Although Hodgkinson’s winning time in Paris was 1:56.72, her confidence has increased significantly since her 1:54.61 time in London last July.
Hodgkinson declared: “I think I can. I now believe I can do that.”
Once an underdog at the Olympics three years before, Keely Hodgkinson is now one among the favorites to win the gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The athlete declared: “It’s quite a privileged position to be in… It’s exciting but a little bit daunting, and a very different position to what I was in last time.”
In her first major outdoor event, she broke Kelly Holmes’ 26-year British record to win the 800m silver. This is where her career took a turn.
Three incredible years have passed for the current European champion. When she earned her second consecutive world silver in Budapest, she expressed her regret, which is a clear indication that she is aiming for a higher achievement in the Olympics.
Hodgkinson – no pressure
“I’m still young but there was no pressure then, whereas now I feel like I have a little bit to live up to…Being chased rather than being the one chasing is a harder position to be in but I enjoy the pressure, to be honest,” she admitted.
Hodgkinson will once more face competitors Athing Mu and Mary Moraa in the upcoming summer Games as they hunt for a gold medal.
In the Prefontaine Classic, which also serves as the Eugene Diamond League, Hodgkinson hopes to make a significant impression before the 2024 Olympics when the “big three” of the women’s 800m meet head-to-head.
“Unfortunately, I’ve been second every time. But we’re going to try and change that…I think it’s a good rivalry. It’s quite exciting for us all because we’re all so young, we’re all really talented, we work hard and we all really want it,” the athlete said.
She added: “We don’t race each other that often so, when we do, it’s a big occasion.”
Battling illness, Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson successfully defended her European 800-metre title, leaving behind her rivals to win the gold in 1 minute and 58.65 seconds on the final day of the European championships in Rome.
After her exceptional performance, the Olympic silver medallist and two-time world champion disclosed that she had been ill the day before.
Hodgkinson admitted: “Sometimes you’ve just got to find a way to win…I wanted to go out and have a a good time today, but I’m happy with the win. I would have been disappointed if I didn’t try.”
Hodgkinson for Paris 2024
This was Hodgkinson’s second major victory following her win in Munich two years ago. She now hopes to win gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I’m super excited for Paris. The next seven weeks are going to be incredible… I do believe in the power of manifestation, so it’s obviously something I think about. The Olympic Games are so special; it’s a huge opportunity to change your life, and I’m just ready to go for it.” Hodgkinson said.
She will probably compete for gold in Paris with world champion Mary Moraa and American Olympic champion Athing Mu.
Another gold for Great Britain
On the final day of the European championships,Team Great Britain had another reason to celebrate besides Hodgkinson’s victory.
Team Great Britain also won gold in the women’s 4x100m relay. The team features athletes Dina Asher-Smith, Desiree Henry, Amy Hunt, and Daryll Neita.
They won in 41.91 seconds, beating France and the Netherlands. Asher-Smith, the 100-metre champion, led the way, and Neita, the 200-metre silver medallist, led home.
“That felt amazing, we are definitely trying new things before the Olympic Games. Obviously, we are looking to absolutely do amazing in Paris,” Asher-Smith declared.
Neita added: “To finish the championships with a gold medal with these amazing ladies, it’s just an incredible feeling, really electric and I really have a good feeling going into Paris.”
With four golds and thirteen medals overall, the British team finished third in the medal table. Italy, the host nation, topped the table ahead of France.
Keely Hodgkinson, the Olympic 800-metre gold medallist, was voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2024.
In the recent season, the 22-year-old athlete finished her quest for a world championship by winning gold at the Paris Olympics. Three years earlier, she came second in her Olympic debut in Tokyo. She also won back-to-back silvers at the World Championships.
Moreover, Hodgkinson set a new British record of one minute 54.61 seconds at the London Diamond League, which made her the sixth-fastest woman in sporting history. She also maintained her European 800m title in Rome.
Named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, the athlete declared: “I am in a bit of shock… I am more excited for my coach as I wouldn’t be here without his guidance.”
She added: “This year has been incredible and I achieved everything I set out to do on the outdoor track. I hope you loved watching Paris.”
Following Emma Raducanu (2021), Beth Mead (2022), and Mary Earps (2023), Hodgkinson is the fourth consecutive female recipient of this award.
In a social media post, Hodgkinson said: “What a great way to end the year. Thank you to everyone who voted!!”
Keely Hodgkinson, the Olympic 800-metre champion, will be absent for the remainder of the 2024 track season due to her injury.
The 22-year-old athlete finished first in all nine of her 800-metre races in 2024, winning a gold medal in the Paris Games earlier this month. She was supposed to participate in September’s Diamond League finals in Brussels.
Announcing she won’t be participating in any more competition this year, Hodgkinson posted on social media: “No more races for me… Unfortunately I picked up a small injury, but we achieved everything I had hoped to do this year, thank you for all the love and support… See you on the track next year.”
Hodgkinson’s 2024 performance
In 2024, Hodgkinson successfully defended her 800-metre European title and set a new national best in July in the London Diamond League, clocking one minute, 54.61 seconds. Her goal is to surpass the more than forty-year-old 800-metre world record for women, which stands at 1:53.28.
In September 2025, Hodgkinson hopes to win her first World Championship championship in Tokyo after taking home silver in the previous two years.
An Australian runner, Jessica Hull, has solidified her status as an Olympic championship contender with a stunning effort that broke her Oceanian 1500-metre record.
Despite Hull’s remarkable run that broke the record in the Diamond League meeting on Sunday at Stade Charlety, Kenyan superstar Faith Kipyegon beat her with a new record of three minutes 49.04 seconds.
Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine broke the world record in the high jump, motivating competitors Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson of Australia in a memorable competition.
Faith Kipyegon, the double Olympic champion, beat her time by 0.07 seconds in the same hour.
With her 2.10-metre leap, Mahuchikh broke one of the longest-standing women’s records, paving the way for a thrilling Olympic competition.
Hull said; ‘What crazy it is to see my name in fifth! Making sure I’m ready to medal in Paris has been the main goal of my training this year.
‘I have dreamed of competing in the Olympics since I was a small child and have continued to wish. It’s crazy to think of breaking 3:50 now when I never thought 3:55 would be conceivable.’
As 12 women break the four-minute barrier, Kipyegon smashes the record.
Kipyegon broke the world record she set in Florence last year, charging ahead at the ring of the bell, leaving Hull and the others in her wake. In this historic race, Hull finished in second place; twelve women finished in under four minutes for the first time. One of them was another Australian, Linden Hall, who finished fourth with a personal best time of 3:56.40.
Mahuchikh shattered the 2.09-metre high jump record set by Bulgarian Stefka Kostadinova at the 1987 Rome World Championships.
On her second try, world indoor champion Nicola Olyslagers, who had been sidelined due to an injury for a month, matched the Ukrainian’s clearance of 2.01 metres. The 27-year-old Australian jumper, however, failed at 2.03 m. Mahuchikh went on to clear 2.10 metres to set a new high jump record.
