Keely Hodgkinson is set to make her 400 metres Diamond League debut in Rome on Thursday, viewing the event as a crucial and enjoyable step towards maintaining her unbeaten streak in the 800 metres for the rest of the year.
The Olympic 800m champion will face a strong field including reigning European champion Natalia Bukowiecka, Jamaican Nickisha Pryce, and British record holder Amber Anning. Hodgkinson, 24, previously showcased her 400m ability with the fastest split in the women’s 4x400m final at the World Indoor Championships in Torun, where she also won 800m gold in a championship record time.
While not setting specific targets for Rome, Hodgkinson emphasised the race's role in her 800m preparation. “I am really excited for tomorrow. I am grateful to have the opportunity to race some of the best girls in the world,” she said at a press conference. “I’ll be using tomorrow as a stimulus of fun, to be competitive and to also do something different.”
The British athlete explained that the 400m outing is a strategic move to enhance her speed, a plan previously hindered by injuries. “The last couple of years I have said that I have wanted to work on my 400m speed, and that hopefully the plan is it will help my 800m – but I have been unable to do that with some injuries I have had,” she said. “This is the first time in about probably two years that I have been able to put together an actual bit of 400m block work.”
Looking ahead, Hodgkinson is scheduled for 800m races at the Stockholm and Eugene Diamond League meetings, before a highly anticipated event in London on July 18, where she aims to challenge the longest-standing world record in athletics. Her season will also include the defence of her European title in Birmingham. “I probably would like to be undefeated in 800m this year, that would be nice,” she added.
