Keely Hodgkinson is set to make her return at the inaugural World Ultimate Championship, with coach Trevor Painter confirming her participation. The Brit will resume her 800m battles with Audrey Werro and Femke Broeders-Bol in a $150,000 (£111,000) showdown.
Hodgkinson had previously skipped Diamond League meetings due to hamstring discomfort. Painter has now stated that she will be back in action in Budapest later this week. The women's 800m semi-finals are scheduled for Friday, with the final to follow on Saturday.
Coach Confirms Participation
"She will be there," Painter wrote on X, addressing speculation that Hodgkinson might also withdraw from the World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
The competition stands as the richest in the sport's history, boasting a $10m (£8.6m) prize fund, with $150,000 (£111,000) awarded to each individual champion.
Record Within Reach
Audrey Werro's commanding form in the 800 metres has also put her within striking distance of one of athletics' longest-standing records - Jarmila Kratochvilova's 1min 53.28sec mark from 1983.
Hodgkinson pushed Werro to within 0.20sec at the European Championships and set a world indoor record earlier this year. Meanwhile, Femke Broeders-Bol applied further pressure at the Diamond League final on Friday, and a victory over Hodgkinson in Budapest would mark a significant confidence boost as her progression continues.
Hunt and Kerr in Action
Amy Hunt is also set for a busy weekend, lining up for the 100m on Saturday night before returning for the 200m on Sunday. Fresh from collecting four gold medals at the European Championships, she now steps into a field stacked with the world's top sprinters.
Hunt, the 200m World Championships silver medallist, clocked a season's best in her preferred longer sprint on Friday. Sunday will also see Josh Kerr make his long-anticipated return, with the race marking his first 1500m outing of the season - and potentially another clash with Norwegian rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
Kerr arrives in Budapest with serious momentum, having claimed the world indoor 3,000m title, broken a world record, and added Commonwealth Games gold. He has been granted a wild card for Sunday's race which will be held on the same track where he won his first world title back in 2023.
