Olympic gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson has urged athletics organisers to implement two rule changes after highlighting difficulties she encounters at competitions. The 800m champion has enjoyed an exceptional year, breaking an indoor world record in February and securing the World Indoor Championships crown in March. The 24-year-old recently maintained her impressive form as the outdoor season commenced, posting a new 400m personal best at the Diamond League meeting in Rome and setting a new national 800m record in Stockholm.
Demands for Earlier Start Times and Fewer Runners
Hodgkinson has named two rules she believes should be changed in athletics. She demanded earlier start times and fewer competitors in 800m races after detailing problems affecting her preparation and performance. Discussing her Diamond League experiences on her YouTube channel, she said: 'We need to put a limit on, no races past 9.30pm. 10pm latest. The men's hundreds are at 11pm. What the hell? And no more than 10 people in an 800m [race], thank you. Really important, that. People are falling over left, right and centre. And then some people are running way further than 800m because they're having to run in lane three.'
She added: 'You can't even say, "It gets you ready for the championship." No, because there's never going to be 13 people in a championship race. Thank you. That is my two piece on that for today.'
Late Night Racing Challenges
Hodgkinson shared her views on the unusually late start time for her 400m race in Rome. Despite her reservations about the scheduling, she managed to overcome the challenge and clocked 51.14 seconds, setting a new personal best at the Stadio Olimpico. 'We've got a long day ahead of us,' she said in her YouTube video before the event. 'I'm not racing until 10.15pm, that's crazy. I don't mind a late race but that's ridiculous, because you just don't sleep. I'm not sleeping until 3am at least because of the caffeine, the adrenaline. It's mad and then I've got to race again on Sunday.'
Stockholm Success and Future Plans
Following a seventh-place finish in Rome, Hodgkinson went on to establish a new 800m British record of one minute and 54.33 seconds in Stockholm. Yet it proved insufficient for victory, as she finished 0.35 seconds adrift of Switzerland's Audrey Werro. 'Honestly, I'm not that disappointed,' Hodgkinson said after the race. 'I've mentioned the world record (one minute and 53.28 seconds) and to get down to the times that we're talking about, you can't do it by yourself. So I think this will actually be a pivotal moment.'
Hodgkinson has now returned to British shores as she gears up for the UK Championships, which begin on Saturday. The Olympic champion will compete in the 400m at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.
