Olympic 800m champion “absolutely gutted” to make late withdrawal from world indoor record attempt in Birmingham
A tearful Keely Hodgkinson has been forced to pull out of the Keely Klassic (February 15) due to a hamstring injury.
During her final training session before the event that bears her name, the Olympic 800m champion experienced some soreness in her hamstring. A scan later revealed an issue that means she will be unable to race this weekend.
The setback means Hodgkinson is now a doubt for the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn (March 6-9), although she still hasn’t given up on her ambition of competing at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing (March 21-23).
Keely Hodgkinson
“I won’t lie – when I got the news this afternoon, I shed a tear,” Hodgkinson said. “I’ve worked so hard for this moment and was in the best shape of my life. I’m gutted that I won’t be able to race for the fans, especially after so many have bought tickets to see me try and break the world record.
“But this event was never just about me – it was always about showcasing British talent, creating something new for the sport, and bringing more energy and entertainment to athletics. That’s something I’m committed to for the long term.
“I’ll be in Birmingham on Saturday doing everything I can to make sure it’s an amazing night for the athletes and the fans. I want to help create a real festival atmosphere, engage with as many young people as possible, and hopefully inspire the next generation to fall in love with track and field.”
Hodgkinson had been aiming to break the world indoor 800m record on Saturday in what would have been her first race since securing Olympic gold in Paris.
The 22-year-old’s target was Jolanda Čeplak’s 1:55.82, which was set by the Slovenian athlete on March 3, 2002 – the same day Hodgkinson was born.
Keely Hodgkinson (Getty)
The British 800m record-holder both indoors (1:57.18) and outdoors (1:54.61), had dearly wanted to create another piece of history by adding that world indoor mark to her CV.
“It’s a record that I’ve been after for a couple of years now,” Hodgkinson exclusively told AW in our February magazine. “I’ve been in the shape to do it before but it just hasn’t quite come out, and that’s just the reality of the sport.
“I do feel like it’s mine for the taking because it was set on the exact date that I was born. I’d just love to be able to give it a good go in front of a home crowd.”
Back in December, Hodgkinson was crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year, the first person from athletics to achieve the feat since Mo Farah in 2017. Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, who train Hodgkinson at M11 Track Club, were also named BBC Sports Personality Coaches of the Year.
Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows (Tim Adams)
Expect a number of British record attempts at the Keely Klassic
Although Hodgkinson’s withdrawal is a blow, several British athletes will still be aiming to break national indoor records in Birmingham.
Georgia Bell, who secured the Olympic 1500m bronze medal in Paris, wants to break Laura Muir’s national indoor mark of 3:59.58.
Last summer, Bell recorded a time of 3:52.61 on her way to the podium at the Stade de France, bettering Muir’s outdoor record of 3:53.79 from the Paris Diamond League.
After that incredible year the 31-year-old, who previously balanced her training with a full-time job in cybersecurity, has now shut down the laptop and turned to athletics on a full-time basis.
Georgia Bell (Getty)
Also coached by Painter and Meadows, Bell recently returned from a training camp in South Africa and is now in the full swing of the indoor season.
After impressing over 3000m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston, she followed it up with victory in the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games, becoming just the fourth British female athlete in history to win the prestigious trophy.
Meanwhile, in the women’s 300m at the Keely Klassic, Lina Nielsen will look to better Dina Asher-Smith’s British indoor mark of 36.77.
Asher-Smith recorded that time at altitude in Albuquerque last February, with Nielsen’s personal best over the distance indoors being the 37.35 she ran in 2022.
That mark was the national indoor record at the time before Jodie Williams clocked 37.24 in Iowa a year later.
Lina Nielsen (Getty)
Callum Dodds, who recorded an outright 800m personal best of 1:47.79 in Spain last weekend, is targeting the British indoor 600m record on Saturday.
The current mark is held by Tom Staines, who ran 1:15.31 in Albuquerque six years ago.
Dodds boasts a best of 1:16.46 over the distance and is currently ranked sixth on the UK indoor all-time list.
Neil Gourley (Getty)
The men’s 1000m was billed to be a British indoor record attempt from Jake Wightman but the 2022 world 1500m champion pulled out of the event with a knee injury. However, Neil Gourley – the 2023 European indoor 1500m silver medallist – is in the line-up and could potentially threaten Charlie Grice’s 2:17.20 from New York in 2020.
Gourley, who has an indoor 1000m personal best of 2:18.68, also ran his quickest-ever indoor mile at last week’s Millrose Games, clocking 3:49.22 in New York.
Jacob Fincham-Dukes, off the back of his 8.18m leap in Albuquerque, is the headline name in the men’s long jump at the Keely Klassic.
Having placed fifth at the Olympics, he is now second behind Greg Rutherford’s 8.26m on the British indoor long jump all-time list.
Molly Caudery (Getty)
British pole vault record-holder and world indoor champion Molly Caudery will also hope to impress at the Utilita Arena.
With the heartbreak of missing out on the Olympic pole vault final now well behind her, she opened up her 2025 season with a 4.75m clearance in Karlsruhe last week. Caudery’s British record is 4.92m.
There will also be a wide range of other events on show, including the flat sprints and sprint hurdles, para events, and school relays.
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