Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson has revealed the extent of a recent injury that left her unable to walk just days before competing in a Diamond League race. The 24-year-old Briton finished second behind Lilian Odira in Eugene on Saturday, marking her second consecutive defeat in the competition.
Hodgkinson's Brutally Honest Admission
Speaking after the race, Hodgkinson was candid about her performance and injuries. “It's shocking, to be honest. It was not good, it's been a bit of a week. My knees [are] taped up, I took a bad fall last week [and] four days ago I couldn't even walk, so I guess I should take that into consideration but I wanted a lot more than that,” she said.
Viewers noticed cuts and bruises on her knees, which were heavily bandaged during the race. Hodgkinson later posted an emotional picture on Instagram from a medical room, showing the bruising on her knees. Her caption read: “Forward motion”.
Race Performance and Season Struggles
Hodgkinson clocked a time of 1:56.73 in Eugene, while Odira finished in 1:56.19. The time was well off the British record she set in June (1:54.33), which was also not enough to beat winner Audrey Werro in that race.
This season has been troublesome for Hodgkinson. She withdrew from the 400m final at the UK Athletics Championship last month, citing a “little twinge” as the reason. Her decision to compete in the 400m was part of a plan to improve her first-lap speed and potentially break the 800m world record this summer.
World Record Ambitions
The 800m world record is held by former Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova, who ran 1:53.28 in 1983. It stands as the longest-standing world record in athletics. Despite her injuries, Hodgkinson is still expected to pursue the record at the London Diamond League on July 18.
Hodgkinson, from Atherton, remains determined to achieve her goals, even as she battles injury setbacks.
