Keely Hodgkinson delivered a defiant response to her injury-hit season by winning the women's 800m at the London Diamond League on Saturday, beating Femke Broeders-Bol to first place.
Injury Struggles and Withdrawal
The 24-year-old Olympic champion has faced repeated setbacks, including a torn hamstring in February 2025 and a recent scare that left her in tears. Last month, she withdrew from the 400m final at the UK Athletics Championship after grimacing during pre-race strides.
Hodgkinson explained: "I wasn’t feeling 100% standing on the start line, so I made the tough decision to step away and not race. I didn’t want to risk anything ahead of this summer." She later added on Instagram: "Leaving champs healthy!! Sometimes the hard decision is saying no, body wasn’t feeling 100[%], exciting summer ahead."
Fall Before Eugene Race
Earlier this month, Hodgkinson finished second in the 800m at the Eugene Diamond League, losing to Lillian Odira. Fans noticed bandaged cuts and bruises on her knees. After the race, she revealed: "It's shocking, to be honest. It was not good, it's been a bit of a week. My knees [are] taped up, I took a bad fall last week [and] four days ago I couldn't even walk, so I guess I should take that into consideration but I wanted a lot more than that."
She posted photos on Instagram, including one lying on a medical bed covering her face, captioned "Forward motion."
Redemption in London
Hodgkinson bounced back in London, letting her running do the talking. She will not compete at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, starting Thursday, instead focusing on the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham next month.
