Keely Hodgkinson's thrilling campaign took an unexpected turn in Birmingham as she sensationally withdrew from the UK Athletics Championships 400m final with a worrying injury scare just moments before the event. The Olympic silver medallist, who was putting the 400m to the test for speed training, pulled up during her pre-race strides, winced in pain, and then dramatically dropped to the ground, visibly distressed.
Her camp sprang into action to allay fears that she'd been forced out of competition by a major setback. But Hodgkinson herself reassured fans with a poignant message: "I wasn’t feeling 100% standing on the start line, so I made the tough decision to step away and not race. I didn’t want to risk anything ahead of this summer." She later took to Instagram, defiantly declaring: "Leaving champs healthy!!" Her coaches revealed that it was merely muscle tightness that had kicked in during her warm-up – a precautionary measure taken to safeguard herself for the real prize she's got her sights set on: an ambitious attempt at the 800m world record later this year.
Hodgkinson will know all too well the pain of injury, having suffered a torn hamstring back in February that forced her to miss a chunk of last season. That setback ultimately made way for a bronze medal at the World Championships – a testament to her resilience and determination. No wonder she played it safe this time around!
The 22-year-old's sights are firmly fixed on history, with an audacious bid to shatter Jarmila Kratochvilova’s 43-year-old 800m world record of 1:53.28. Just last month, she underlined her credentials by lowering her own national record to a scorching 1:54.33 in Stockholm – finishing second into the bargain! Qualifying fifth fastest for the 400m final with a time of 51.62 earlier that day was merely a formality.
With Hodgkinson watching from the sidelines, Amber Anning claimed gold in the 400m event, setting a championship record with a blistering 50.16. Meanwhile, her training partner Georgia Hunter Bell had already secured the 800m title just minutes before – crossing the line in a championship record time of 1 minute 55.93 seconds.
Hunter Bell herself was perplexed by Hodgkinson's withdrawal, saying: "I’m not sure what’s up because she was warming up really well... She knows she’s in really good shape." Hunter Bell's impressive form has earned her third spot in the world rankings this year and, come July, she'll be back on the track again – this time at the London Diamond League.
Hodgkinson will next be in action at the Eugene Diamond League on 4th July, where she'll compete over 800m. Then, it's home turf for her – and potentially a world record attempt – when she takes to the stage at the London Diamond League on 18th July.