Hodgkinson ‘absolutely gutted’ as injury forces Olympic champion out of Keely Klassic

Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing

Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news

Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news

Keely Hodgkinson admits she is “absolutely gutted” after being forced to pull out of her women’s indoor 800m world record attempt at the Keely Klassic on Saturday through injury.

The Olympic 800m champion was due to race in Birmingham at the inaugural Keely Klassic in a bid to take down Jolanda Ceplak’s long-standing mark of 1m 55.82secs, set in 2002.

But Hodgkinson, who holds personal bests over 800m include 1:54.61 outdoors and 1:57.18 indoors, has suffered soreness in her hamstring and now been forced to withdraw from the event.

The 22-year-old admits she “she a tear” after discovering the severity of the injury, with hope she can still race and defend her title at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China next month.

“I won’t lie—when I got the news this afternoon, I shed a tear,” Hodgkinson, who still plans to attend the event in Birmingham. “I’ve worked so hard for this moment and was in the best shape of my life. I’m absolutely 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. I can’t wait to see some incredible performances, and I’ll be cheering on every athlete who steps on the track.”

Hodgkinson later added on social media that she has “a great week of preparations for this weekend” before being hit by injury.

She said: “I’m devastated to be missing the launch of the first Keely Klassic , me and my team worked so hard these last couple of months to put me in a perfect position to race, and I was so excited to perform in front of a home crowd !!

“BUT… this event was never just about me. From the start, it was about bringing fresh energy to our sport, celebrating British talent, and connecting with the next generation of fans. And we look forward to still bringing that to life. I will still be there on Saturday and Still super excited to be supporting my teammates, seeing the crowd and watching an incredible day of athletics. I look forward to seeing some of you there and I hope you all enjoy it too.”

Olympic champions Femke Bol and Lieke Klaver were among the athletes to immediately wish Hodgkinson a speedy recovery.

The Keely Klassic, which is available to watch live on BBC iPlayer, will still involve Olympic bronze medalist Georgia Hunter-Bell in the women’s 1,500m and Olympian Neil Gourley in the men’s 1,000m.

The Keely Klassic takes place on Saturday, 15 February in Birmingham, UK.

The event will be available via the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website. The live broadcast is set to begin at 12:05pm GMT.

All times in GMT

10:45 – 400m Women’s Heats (National)

11:00 – 400m Men’s Heats (National)

11:15 – 4x200m U17 Men’s Heats (National)

11:30 – 4x200m U17 Women’s Heats (National)

11:45 – 60m Men’s Heats (National)

12:05 – 400m Men’s Final (Elite)

12:10 – 400m Women’s Final (Elite)

12:20 – 60m Women’s Heats (National)

12:45 – 60mH Women’s Final (Elite)

13:00 – 60mH Men’s Final (Elite)

13:15 – Triple Jump Women’s Final (National)

13:25 – 60m Men’s Final (Elite)

13:35 – 60m Women’s Final (Elite)

13:45 – 60m Para Men’s Final (National)

13:50 – 60m Para Women’s Final (National)

14:05 – 800m U17 Men’s (National)

14:10 – Long Jump Men’s Final (National)

14:15 – 4x200m Mixed School Age Final (Elite)

14:25 – 4x200m U17 Men’s Final (National)

14:35 – 4x200m U17 Women’s Final (National)

14:45 – High Jump Women’s Final (National)

14:50 – 200m Women’s Final (Elite)

15:00 – 200m Men’s Final (National)

15:10 – Pole Vault Women’s Final (National)

15:20 – 1500m Women’s Final (Elite)

15:35 – 400m Men’s Final (Elite)

15:45 – 1000m Men’s Final (Elite)

16:00 – 400m Women’s Final (Elite)

16:10 – 600m Men’s Final (Elite)

16:21 – 1000m Women’s Final (Elite)

16:32 – 800m Men’s Final (Elite)

16:43 – 800m Women’s Final (Elite)

Source: independent.co.uk