Great Britain's 23-year-old Keely Hodgkinson made strong comeback by running the fastest 800-metre world lead at the Diamond League in Poland on Saturday, August 16.
This was her first race since winning Olympic gold in Paris, marking her return to competition in Silesia after 376 days away from competition due to a hamstring injury and several delays in her return.
Hodgkinson set a new meeting record of one minute and 54.74 seconds and finishing well ahead of Kenya’s Lilian Odira and Botswana’s Oratile Nowe.
The player hopes to win a gold medal at the World Championships after coming in second place and earning silver in both 2022 and 2023.
After winning the race, she expressed, "That was so much fun. I planned to run a fast time because I do not have five races any more before Tokyo, I only have today and the meeting in Lausanne," as per BBC Sports.
"So it had to be fast and I am happy that it worked," Hodgkinson, who was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2024 added.
She was also made an MBE for contribution to athletics in the 2025 New Year Honours.
Hodgkinson is now focusing on competing in the World Championship in Tokyo which will begin on September 13.
