Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson pulled out of the 400m final at the UK Athletics Championships on Sunday as a precautionary measure ahead of a crucial summer season. The 24-year-old was visibly upset after withdrawing from the race at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, having already taken her position in lane nine.
Hodgkinson walked to the side of the track with officials gathered around, before leaving the event. She had been keen to compete over the shorter distance to improve her first-lap speed and challenge the 800m world record later this year. The current world record stands at 1:53.28, set by Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova 43 years ago.
Injury Concerns and Precautionary Withdrawal
According to coach Jenny Meadows, Hodgkinson “felt a little twinge in her last strides before the race.” The athlete had been anxious during the warm-up and on the start-line, fearing the issue could escalate into a more serious injury, especially after experiencing several hamstring problems last year.
Hodgkinson stated: “I wasn’t feeling 100 per cent standing on the start-line, so I made the tough decision to step away and not race. I didn’t want to risk anything this summer.”
Race Results and Future Plans
In the women’s 400m final, Amber Anning recovered from a false start to retain her title with a time of 50.16 seconds. Earlier, Hodgkinson’s friend and rival Georgia Hunter Bell successfully defended her 800m title, leading from start to finish and winning in 1:55.93, breaking the championship record set by Kelly Holmes in 1995.
Hodgkinson had already broken the indoor world record earlier this year with a time of 1:54.87 in France. Her main goal for the summer is winning the 800m at the European Championships. She will now focus on the Diamond League meeting in London on July 18.
