Keely Hodgkinson has decided to skip the 800 metres at this week's Diamond League meeting in Zurich because she "is not quite ready to race". The announcement comes ten days after finishing second over the same distance at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, and losing the title she had held since 2022.
Hodgkinson and Odira withdraw
Hodgkinson, 24, joins world champion Lilian Odira in withdrawing on Monday, who similarly said: "I must listen to my body." European champion Audrey Werro and bronze medalist Femke Broeders-Bol are to race, though, alongside Commonwealth Games champion Georgia Hunter Bell, who won the 1500 metres in Birmingham.
Hodgkinson said in a statement: "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. Sad to miss it, hopefully see you next year!"
Organisers respect decision
Diamond League organisers said they "fully respect" her decision and "hope to see her back in Zurich in the future". They also acknowledged how highly anticipated the race was, given that it would be against Werro.
It was a chance to exact revenge on the Swiss athlete by stopping her from winning on home soil, as she had done to the Brit in Birmingham. Werro won the 800m in Lausanne last week, doing so in a meeting record time that topped Hodgkinson's from 12 months ago by 00.36 seconds.
British interest remains
Speaking in Birmingham about the upcoming meet, she said: "I signed myself up for Zurich because I knew everyone was in it but me. I want to be in with the best, and I think that's going to bring out the best in me."
Hodgkinson also acknowledged after coming second in the final: "I'm looking forward to the next match-up," and also added: "Life goes on. I'll go back and train, and just hope I get it next time."
She has won just one of the seven meets featuring 800m, with the win in Lausanne being Werro's fourth Diamond League success this year. This week in Zurich is the penultimate meet, with just the final to go in Brussels on September 4 and 5.
But before that, Hunter Bell ensures that there will be British interest in Zurich. She will make it three of the 'big five' competing, alongside Broeders-Bol and Werro, in the absence of Hodgkinson and Odira.
