CHELMSFORD, England (June 17) – Olympic and world championships 800m silver medalist Keely Hodgkinson stepped down in distance and stormed to victory in the 400m event at the England U23 Championships. Her 52.24 seconds winning performance on Saturday not only saw her claiming the gold medal, but she also broke the U23 championship record at the Chelmsford Athletics Stadium.
The U23 Championships, a thrilling two-day event, will conclude on Sunday, and you can watch live streaming coverage on YouTube, starting at 5:00 a.m. ET.
Hodgkinson, a talented 21-year-old athlete, sprinted off from the start to cover the athletes in the lanes in front of her before eventually powering away from the field crossed the finish line in a solid time. Read more: Where will the 2025 World Athletics Championship be hosted?
The winning time surpassed the previous record of 52.43 seconds, set by Christine Ohuruogo in 2005. The triumph today also set a personal best for Hodgkinson, exceeding the 52.41 seconds she set last year.
Despite the windy conditions, the two-time European Indoor Championships 800m expressed that her ambition was to run an even faster time. She set a world indoor 600m record of 83.41 seconds in Manchester this past January and recently smashed the British 800m record with a fantastic world-leading time of 1:55.77 at the Paris Diamond League meeting last week.
“Deep down, I wanted a bit of a faster time. I was hoping for a 51,” Hodgkinson revealed during an interview with England Athletics. “I feel that is what I am capable of, but it was very windy, and it was a straight final.”
This victory at the England U23 Championships today adds to Hodgkinson’s impressive versatility to performance in other events besides her 800m specialty, and she was pleased to have taken the opportunity to embrace the new challenge.
“It’s a new, new experience doing a different event in a championship environment with girls who can push me,” she stated, acknowledging the value of testing her abilities in different disciplines.
Behind Hodgkinson, Natasha Harrison secured second place with a time of 53.13secs, while Poppy Malik clinched third in 54.66secs.
Having already made waves in the athletics world, Hodgkinson has been on a remarkable trajectory. She set a world indoor 600m record of 83.41 seconds in Manchester this past January and recently broke the British 800m record with a time of 1:55.77 at the Paris Diamond League meeting last week.
