2026-02-24 16:09:23
Keely Hodgkinson feels “closer than ever” to breaking the 800m outdoor world record.
The Olympic champion surpassed the event’s indoor record last week and believes she can beat the time of 1:53.28 set by Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983.
Hodgkinson told BBC Sport: “It’s not an easy feat and there’s a reason it has stood for so long.
“I think this is the closest I’ve felt near it. I do really believe that we can break it, but a lot of things have got to come together.
“I’ve known for weeks I’m capable of breaking it. It’s just a matter of getting out on the day.
“We can push it even further in the future, as long as I stay healthy and I think this is hopefully just the beginning.”
Hodgkinson’s record comes after she struggled with a hamstring injury after winning Olympic gold in Paris two years ago.
She said: “After winning the Olympics, it really wasn’t what I thought was going to happen.
“It makes you stop and strip back everything and think, why is this happening? What are the problems?
“But, we got through it, I became a stronger person, and I think this is now the reward of all of that happening.”
Hodgkinson feels that she is “on the right path” to breaking the long-standing world record after a productive winter training programme.
The athlete said: “We’re on the right path and we’ve seen evidence in training that we think that it’s possible.
“I think the reason this year has gone so well for me is because I’ve had my healthiest winter training I’ve had in years.”
Meanwhile, Hodgkinson says that 2025 was her “best year” despite her injury problems.
She explained: “I still had a good time – my entire personality is not my job.
“There’s so much more outside of life than just what I have going in my career.”
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