Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson has criticised the scheduling of the women's 800 metres at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, describing the lengthy wait before her heat as 'awful'. The 23-year-old British star, who won gold in Paris last year, breezed through her heat with a time of 1min 59.79sec but admitted the experience was far from enjoyable.
Speaking to the BBC after her victory, Hodgkinson said: 'Honestly, we know I don't like the rounds. They feel awful, they are awful.' She sarcastically thanked whoever placed the 800m last in the schedule, adding: 'I have been losing my mind. I've been so bored just waiting for it to come around.'
Hodgkinson, who arrived in Japan over a fortnight ago for a training camp, is aiming to add a world title to her Olympic gold. She was joined in the semi-finals by training partner Georgia Hunter Bell, who won her heat in 1min 58.82sec. The duo are hoping for a British one-two finish in the event.
The Atherton-born runner has battled back from a hamstring tear suffered in February, which forced her to miss several Diamond League meetings. She made a triumphant return in Silesia last month, clocking the ninth-fastest time in history, before backing it up with a 1.55 in Lausanne. 'My body's in a good place at the moment,' she said. 'I am a bit heavier... but funnily enough, it hasn't slowed me down. I think it's made me more powerful.'
