Keely Hodgkinson makes stunning return as she sends message to rivals
The Olympic champion made her eagerly anticipated comeback from a string of hamstring problems in Silesia and recorded 1:54.74.
That mark was merely 0.15secs off her national record established in London last summer.
More importantly, it was almost two seconds faster than the next best performance in 2025 so far, the 1:56.64 posted by Ethiopia's Tsige Duguma in May, and makes her the overwhelming favourite to turn her two world silvers into gold in Tokyo. Keely Hodgkinson toasts her fine return to form.
Hodgkinson will race again in Lausanne on Wednesday as part of a field featuring her training partner Georgia Hunter-Bell, who has posted this season's third-fastest 800m, before another training block ahead of Japan.
"I was just happy to step on the track after more than a year," a beaming Hodgkinson said. "As I got closer to the race I got more and more relaxed. I enjoyed the feeling of the race.
"I planned to run a fast time because I do not have five races anymore before Tokyo. I only have today and the meeting in Lausanne. So it had to be fast and I am happy that it worked." Keely Hodgkinson was immediately back to top form following her long injury lay-off.
Hunter Bell finished third in a stacked 1500m yesterday and will decide next week whether to run over both distances at the Worlds having admitted before Hodgkinson's stunning return that she felt it would be easier to win an 800m medal.
Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay won in 3:50.62 with Beatrice Chebet, the recently-crowned 5000m world record holder a distant second as Hunter Bell crossed in 3:56.0.
Neither Amy Hunt nor Daryll Neita were able to trouble the top three in the 200m, while Jamaican giant Kishane Thompson pipped Olympic champ Noah Lyles in the men's 100m by running a join meet record 9.87secs.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Keely Hodgkinson makes stunning return as she sends message to rivals
Keely Hodgkinson blazed to the ninth-quickest 800m of all time in her first outing for 376 days – and instantly established herself as the athlete to defeat at next month's Worlds. The Olympic champion made her eagerly anticipated comeback from a string of hamstring problems in Silesia and recorded 1:54.74. That mark was merely 0.15secs off her national record established in London last summer. More importantly, it was almost two seconds faster than the next best performance in 2025 so far, the 1:56.64 posted by Ethiopia's Tsige Duguma in May, and makes her the overwhelming favourite to turn her two world silvers into gold in Tokyo. Keely Hodgkinson toasts her fine return to form. Hodgkinson will race again in Lausanne on Wednesday as part of a field featuring her training partner Georgia Hunter-Bell, who has posted this season's third-fastest 800m, before another training block ahead of Japan. "I was just happy to step on the track after more than a year," a beaming Hodgkinson said. "As I got closer to the race I got more and more relaxed. I enjoyed the feeling of the race. "I planned to run a fast time because I do not have five races anymore before Tokyo. I only have today and the meeting in Lausanne. So it had to be fast and I am happy that it worked." Keely Hodgkinson was immediately back to top form following her long injury lay-off. Hunter Bell finished third in a stacked 1500m yesterday and will decide next week whether to run over both distances at the Worlds having admitted before Hodgkinson's stunning return that she felt it would be easier to win an 800m medal. Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay won in 3:50.62 with Beatrice Chebet, the recently-crowned 5000m world record holder a distant second as Hunter Bell crossed in 3:56.0. Neither Amy Hunt nor Daryll Neita were able to trouble the top three in the 200m, while Jamaican giant Kishane Thompson pipped Olympic champ Noah Lyles in the men's 100m by running a join meet record 9.87secs.
The Irish Sun
12 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Filip Hrgovic survives horror cut to outclass brave Brit David Adeleye on Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte undercard
All recommendations within this article are informed by expert editorial opinion. If you click on a link in this story we may earn affiliate revenue. CUT IT OUT Filip Hrgovic survives horror cut to outclass brave Brit David Adeleye on Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte undercard DAVID ADELEYE courageously climbed off the deck against heavyweight boogieman Filip Hrgovic but was beaten on points. The fearless Ladbroke Road lad took on the 2016 Olympic bronze winner in Saudi and had to drag himself off the sand in round eight. 3 Filip Hrgovic dropped David Adeleye on the way to a points win Credit: Getty 3 Hrgovic was badky cut from his right eye Credit: Getty Advertisement He threw the kitchen sink at the respected veteran but the three ringside judges scored the bout 98-91, 99-90 and 99-90. The West Londoner made the brave decision to start fast, pinging orthodox jabs up at the 6ft 6in Croatian's handsome and hard dome. Hrgovic pushed him back with body attacks but when he popped out a limp jab, Adeleye landed the shot of the round, an overhand right, that should have banked the opener for him with the judges. The only defeat on Hrgovic's 18-1 career came last year when he battered Daniel Dubois for a few rounds before being stopped over gruesome cuts around both eyes. Advertisement And - by the second round - after dozens of decent straight jabs the right eye was ripped open again and leaking blood into his vision. The bookies' favourite remained dangerous, plodding toward Adeleye like Adams Family butler Lurch. But the Brit was picking him off at range, sometimes on the backfoot, and slashing further at the oozing wounds. Hrgovic kept ploughing into the pugilist with the Portobello Road tattoo but Adeleye grinned back at his best blows. Advertisement 3 ITAUMA VS WHYTE LIVE BLOG - FOLLOW UPDATES FROM HUGE HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS And just before the bell, when looking pinned into a neutral corner, the Englishman landed a beautiful left hook - punch of the night hitherto - and buzzed the bloodied giant. Both men wasted time and energy in the fourth, Hrgovic hammering blows into Adeleye's inked abs or high guard and the left hook replies missing by miles. Advertisement Hrgovic showed glimpses of his 2016 Olympic pedigree in the fifth but his body-attack strategy was baffling. And before the sixth even started, both 17st hulks looked exhausted and started cuddling more than punching. Hrgovic dominated a dull sixth, when Adeleye was running on fumes and looking increasingly vulnerable and ringside Derek Chisora yelled 'you need a knockout, bro' before the seventh started. Adeleye listened and started the session with some crisp scoring shots but it was short lived as his engine betrayed him again after around 30 seconds. Adeleye was whacked by a massive right hand at the start of the eighth but he stuck his tongue out and roared in the silent little arena before getting dropped and taking a count. Advertisement Brilliantly he bounced back up to his white boots and then smashed Hrgovic around the ring until he nearly collapsed, but our boy could not score a revenge knockdown before the bell. Hrgovic was cautious and clever in the final two sessions but Adeleye emptied the tank and came up just short in a joyride he can be proud of.
The 42
13 hours ago
- The 42
Sarah Healy stays top of Diamond League 1500m standings
IRELAND'S SARAH HEALY remains top of the 1500m standings in the Wanda Diamond League after a ninth-place finish in Silesia, Poland. The in-form UCD AC runner had already qualified for the final and now has 23 points, seven clear of Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay in second. Tsegay stormed to victory today in 3:50.62, a meet record and season's best. Kenya's Beatrice Chebet was next home in a personal best of 3:54.73, while Georgia Hunter Bell of Great Britain finished third in 3:56.00. A Meeting Record in the Women's 1500m! Gudaf Tsegay with a storming performance to run 3:50.62. 9th place for Sarah Healy who ran 3:57.95. — Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) August 16, 2025 Advertisement Healy clocked 3:57.95, also achieving automatic qualification for next year's European Athletics Championships. But the Dubliner's focus will be on the Wanda Diamond League final in Zurich on 28 August, with a top prize of just over €25,000 on the line. Healy claimed her first-ever Diamond League victory in Rome in May, and ran a personal best (3:57.15) as she finished second in Paris in June. Elsewhere in Silesia today, Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson made a triumphant return to action as she ran a world-leading time in her first 800m since winning gold at the Paris Games last year. The 23-year-old — a training partner of Healy's — showed no sign of the lingering hamstring problems that had sidelined her for months as she clocked a meet record of 1:54.74 in hot and humid conditions in the Polish city of Chorzow. Kenya's Faith Kipyegon just missed out on the long-standing world record in the women's 3,000m. Six weeks after improving her own world 1500m record in Eugene, the three-time Olympic and four-time world gold medallist clocked 8:07.04 over the non-Olympic distance. That fell just short of the 8:06.11 world record set by China's Wang Junxia in 1993. And Jamaica's Kishane Thompson exacted a measure of revenge by beating Olympic champion Noah Lyles over 100m. It was the first time the two sprinters have met since Lyles was awarded Olympic gold in Paris a year ago, just five-thousandths of a second ahead of Thompson. The fast-starting Jamaican timed a joint meet record of 9.87 for victory, with Lyles second in 9.90. Another American, Kenny Bednarek, rounded out the podium in 9.96. - Additional reporting from – © AFP 2025
