Latest news with #KeelyKlassic
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hodgkinson prepared for 'nerve-wracking' return
Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson said her first race since winning gold in Paris last summer will be a "nerve-wracking one". A hamstring injury earlier this year delayed the 23-year-old's return to the track, but she is due to take part in the Diamond League event in Stockholm on 15 June. The women's 800m field features all eight of the top-ranked runners in the world, including fellow Brits Georgia Hunter-Bell and Jemma Reekie. "I feel out of practice in a way, because by the time I do race it will be 10 months," she told BBC Sport. "But it's nothing we haven't coped with before. It will be a challenge, the first race will be a nerve-wracking one because my last race I literally became Olympic champion. But I'm excited for it." Ethiopia's Tsige Duguma and Kenya's Mary Moraa, who won silver and bronze respectively in Paris, are both due to take part in the race. On the high-quality field, Hodgkinson said: "When I saw the line-up it was the perfect motivation that I needed for the next six weeks. Having not competed in so long it almost seems so far away. "Now I've got that extra motivator of who is going to be there. It is going to be a hard race, we want to come out on top, so we're working really hard towards that and the races to follow after that. "It's not going to be easy, it never is, but I'm looking forward to it." Hodgkinson was injured in February during her final training session before the Keely Klassic, a new athletics event in Birmingham which she founded. She said it had taken "a lot of time and patience" to let her hamstring recover properly, but there have been "no setbacks" since. Her primary aim this season remains winning gold at the World Championships in Tokyo in September, although she is also hoping to break the 1m54sec barrier for the 800m. She has previously said she has her sights on the world record of 1:53.28, which was set in 1983 by Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova, but it appears that is more of a future aim. "It's going to be hard in Tokyo, everyone is going to step it up as they do every year, the standard just gets higher and higher," Hodgkinson added. "We're pushing the limits, we want to break the 1.54 barrier, hopefully this year, we'll see. "But the main aim would be to win gold and whatever [time] that comes with would be amazing. Titles last forever." On Tuesday, Hodgkinson received her MBE at Windsor Castle from the Prince of Wales, which she described as a "real honour". Asked what they had spoken about during the ceremony, she said: "He [Prince William] said he remembered me winning last summer, and then my coach said that his kids are into athletics, so I said that if he needed any tips he knows where to go."
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hodgkinson prepared for 'nerve-wracking' return
Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson said her first race since winning gold in Paris last summer will be a "nerve-wracking one". A hamstring injury earlier this year delayed the 23-year-old's return to the track, but she is due to take part in the Diamond League event in Stockholm on 15 June. The women's 800m field features all eight of the top-ranked runners in the world, including fellow Brits Georgia Hunter-Bell and Jemma Reekie. "I feel out of practice in a way, because by the time I do race it will be 10 months," she told BBC Sport. "But it's nothing we haven't coped with before. It will be a challenge, the first race will be a nerve-wracking one because my last race I literally became Olympic champion. But I'm excited for it." Ethiopia's Tsige Duguma and Kenya's Mary Moraa, who won silver and bronze respectively in Paris, are both due to take part in the race. On the high-quality field, Hodgkinson said: "When I saw the line-up it was the perfect motivation that I needed for the next six weeks. Having not competed in so long it almost seems so far away. "Now I've got that extra motivator of who is going to be there. It is going to be a hard race, we want to come out on top, so we're working really hard towards that and the races to follow after that. "It's not going to be easy, it never is, but I'm looking forward to it." Hodgkinson was injured in February during her final training session before the Keely Klassic, a new athletics event in Birmingham which she founded. She said it had taken "a lot of time and patience" to let her hamstring recover properly, but there have been "no setbacks" since. Her primary aim this season remains winning gold at the World Championships in Tokyo in September, although she is also hoping to break the 1m54sec barrier for the 800m. She has previously said she has her sights on the world record of 1:53.28, which was set in 1983 by Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova, but it appears that is more of a future aim. "It's going to be hard in Tokyo, everyone is going to step it up as they do every year, the standard just gets higher and higher," Hodgkinson added. "We're pushing the limits, we want to break the 1.54 barrier, hopefully this year, we'll see. "But the main aim would be to win gold and whatever [time] that comes with would be amazing. Titles last forever." On Tuesday, Hodgkinson received her MBE at Windsor Castle from the Prince of Wales, which she described as a "real honour". Asked what they had spoken about during the ceremony, she said: "He [Prince William] said he remembered me winning last summer, and then my coach said that his kids are into athletics, so I said that if he needed any tips he knows where to go."
BBC News
01-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Hodgkinson to make injury return in London in July
Britain's Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson will return from injury to race in the women's 800m at this summer's London Athletics Meet on Saturday 19 23-year was forced to withdraw from February's Keely Klassic in Birmingham because of a hamstring last year's event at London Stadium, Hodgkinson set a meeting record, national record and personal best of 1:54.61, which lifted her to sixth in the world all-time would pave the way for her to win gold at the Paris Games and add to her Olympic silver from Tokyo, where Hodgkinson will be aiming to claim the World Championship title later this year."I remember after last year's race thinking, 'Can we do that all over again?'," said Hodgkinson, who was crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2024."It was such a dream to compete in the Olympic stadium and I'm so excited to get back out there and see what I can do."For me, that race really set me up for what I did in Paris. I'm now an Olympic champion which is a pretty amazing thing to say out loud, but I still haven't won world gold, so I have really big goals this summer. "Having that crowd behind me in London, plus a bunch of super-quick ladies to race against, will be the best possible preparation as I build towards the World Championships in Tokyo."The London Athletics Meet is the 11th meeting of the 2025 Wanda Diamond League.
The Independent
07-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Paris changed Keely Hodgkinson's life – but what's next for Olympic champion?
Keely Hodgkinson skips down the steps in the stands of the Utilita Arena Birmingham, inundated by dozens of young girls desperate for an autograph or selfie. The Olympic champion gladly bounces from corner to corner over several hours to satisfy her adoring fans at last month's self-titled Keely Klassic. In fact, Hodgkinson managed to work up a sweat despite not competing due to an ill-timed hamstring injury that dashed hopes of an indoor 800m world record. Yet that setback has shone a light on the star Hodgkinson has become since that unforgettable summer evening in Paris, when the 22-year-old surged clear of her competition to seize a dominant gold on that iconic purple Stade de France track. An emotional start to 2025, having shed a few tears after sustaining that untimely injury last month to abruptly end her indoor season, has provided added perspective on her journey to date. Last year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Hodgkinson has dazzled at non-athletics events such as the Brits, F1's 2025 launch event and even appeared pitchside at Wembley for the Lionesses' victory over world champions Spain. 'You feel inspired [at these kind of events],' a buoyant Hodgkinson tells The Independent after being included as one of 50 exceptional women celebrated in the 2025 Influence List to mark International Women's Day. 'It's been nice to mingle with people from other sports and events and just see how they do it, especially the big ones at the top. It's been good fun, I've always said I take the opportunities when I can to meet new people and new cultures.' Hodgkinson insists it remains 'amazing to hear the stories from little girls and boys who watched in Paris,' having repeatedly replayed that 800m final in her mind, right up until the euphoria of accepting a crown moments after crossing the finish line. 'My goal in Paris was when you get nervous and you really focus on something, it can be very easy to just forget what happened and everything goes into a blur, so I really wanted to remember everything,' Hodgkinson recalls. 'So I really tried an effort to be like, look around me as well as just be really focused. So I kind of remember everything. 'I remember walking out of the tunnel to the final and that was amazing. The crowd was full of British people, so it almost felt like a home Games for me in a weird way. All my family and friends were there. The whole thing was kind of magical, and I couldn't have imagined it going any better.' Hodgkinson has already started to deal with the added attention and weight of expectations on the road to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September. A formidable team, led by coaches Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, has provided confidence that Hodgkinson has 'the best and most meticulous planners' to position her for what would be a first World Championship 800m gold for a British woman, with her back-to-back silver medals in 2022 and 2023 matching the legendary Kelly Holmes' effort in 2003. Part of that preparation is how to respond to added attention and distractions, with her injury before the Keely Klassic provoking criticism from Michael Johnson. The former Olympic champion, ahead of the launch of his own innovative new series Grand Slam Track, hit out at the event's format: 'You can't build around one star.' But Hodgkinson displayed immense maturity, while contending with the frustration of her injury, in her response as she outlined her vision for the sport and a desire to leave a legacy beyond the track. 'I think people got confused because my name was in the title,' Hodgkinson replied. 'It was always going to be called that, regardless of whether I ran or not. 'And for us, it was more about bringing something new and trying to build a legacy with something that we hope goes on longer than when I'm retired. It was never just about me competing. Unfortunately, injuries happened, but it was still a great day and we saw some great performances. I think we had three British records, so, yes, I think it was success.' That maturity suggests Hodgkinson is in the right mindset to recover from her injury setback and deal with the pressure when she returns to action, with her ambition burning brighter than ever. 'It definitely will be a challenge [to win with greater expectations], and it's something I haven't dealt with before,' Hodgkinson acknowledges. 'But I'm kind of excited for that challenge. 'Since becoming Olympic champion, I was worried about maybe having a bit of a dip. Or an Olympic comedown. But it's almost given me a newfound motivation to want to keep it going and keep pushing forward. The title has almost pushed me forward to say, 'Okay, let's see how far we can go.'
The Independent
23-02-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Georgia Hunter-Bell passes ‘first big test' to retain title at British Indoors
Georgia Hunter-Bell insists she is getting used to her new role as favourite as she reclaimed her women's 1500m indoor crown at the British Indoor Athletics Championships in Birmingham. The 31-year-old successfully defended her title as she came home with a time of 4.13.23 in front of Revee Nolan-Walcott in second and Ellie Leather, who took bronze. The Paris bronze medal winner tracked the leaders all the way and turned on the afterburners as the bell rang for the final lap, passing Nolan-Walcott and storming down the home straight in front of the Birmingham crowd, a week after her personal best at the Keely Klassic. Hunter-Bell said: "I really wanted to come back and defend my title and every year it is so hard, you have to step up. "This is the first big test of me coming in as a favourite rather than an underdog so I'm adjusting to that. "I prefer being the underdog. It's just no pressure and can be really confident and good shape but it's a new thing and I'm learning. "There is no secret formula, it's just practicing racing to be able to perform at championships. I did my undergrad here so it's nice to be back in Birmingham." Hannah Nuttall produced a stunning sprint finish to beat Laura Muir and clinch the women's 3000m title. The 27-year-old produced a stunning 29.1 second last lap to overtake the Tokyo Olympic medallist in the final bend to cause an upset at the Utilita Arena. Muir, alongside Nuttall, gradually broke away from the rest of the pack but it was the former who made the first move with just over a couple of laps to go and looked like she would go on to retain her title from 2024. But Nuttall - the reigning 5000m outdoor champion - hit back before the home straight and breezed past Muir to take gold, coming home almost a second before Muir. Nuttall said: "I did think today I could potentially come out with the win if I had my best possible race but to actually execute it and do it is another thing. "I thought I'll just follow her (Muir) and see what I have left in the tank at the end; I had another gear and when I went past her and she didn't have anything left. "The nerves the last few days have been off the scale." Olympic relay medal winners Amber Anning and Lina Nielsen came home in first and second respectively in the women's 400m race, while Katarina Johnson-Thompson finished 10th in shot put. Anning and Nielsen were part of the team that clinched bronze in Paris last summer and the pair fought till the end in Birmingham, with Nielsen's personal best of 1.11.77 not enough as Anning finished 0.27 seconds in front of her.
