Georgia Hunter Bell has said Keely Hodgkinson will be back racing soon after the Olympic champion withdrew from Thursday's Zurich Diamond League meeting. Hodgkinson, who took silver at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham earlier this month, pulled out of the 800m race in Switzerland.
The 24-year-old announced her decision on Monday, explaining she was not able to race again so quickly after the physical demands of the Europeans. Hodgkinson, who has dealt with hamstring and knee injuries in recent years, skipped the Commonwealth Games to prioritise the Europeans and has not raced since finishing behind Audrey Werro.
Hodgkinson's Statement on Withdrawal
In her statement, Hodgkinson said: "Unfortunately, the body isn't quite ready to race again after the European Championships. We've made the decision to skip this race and get ready for the next one."
She added: "Sad to miss it, hopefully see you next year!" Diamond League organisers said they "fully respect" her decision and "hope to see her back in Zurich in the future."
Hunter Bell's Training Insights
Following the announcement, fellow English 800m runner Hunter Bell commented on her training partner's withdrawal. The 32-year-old told The Times: "It's always harder when you have to watch your team-mates running."
"But I stayed with Keely earlier this week when I was training up in Manchester and she will be back soon. She wants to race," she added.
Hunter Bell, who claimed world 800m silver last year before securing gold at the Commonwealth Games last month, competed in Thursday's race in Zurich and finished third. She ran her season's best with a time of 1:55:03.
Werro's Record-Breaking Performance
Meanwhile, Werro won her second race on home soil in a week, coming close to breaking the outdoor world record. The 22-year-old's time of 1:53:70 was the third-fastest in history, as attention now turns to the Diamond League final in Brussels on September 4-5.
Hodgkinson has qualified and is still expected to participate following her recovery from her latest fitness setback. The Mancunian will hope to exact revenge on Werro in their rematch.
