Keely Hodgkinson: The Golden Girl of British Athletics is Back in Full Flight

Keely Hodgkinson: The Golden Girl of British Athletics is Back in Full Flight

Article by Mark Dunn for Sports News-UK

 https://www.sportsnewsuk.co.uk

The track has a way of missing its brightest stars, and after a 2025 season hampered by a frustrating hamstring injury, the athletics world has been eagerly awaiting the return of Keely Hodgkinson. This past weekend at the UK Indoor Championships in Birmingham, she didn’t just return; she made an emphatic statement.

Keely Hodgkinson - Image by Mark Dunn Photography

Running solo in the 800m heats, the reigning Olympic champion delivered a masterclass in front-running. Clocking a blistering 1:56.33, Keely shattered her own British indoor record and moved to third on the world all-time list. It was the fastest indoor 800m performance the world has seen in nearly 24 years—and she did it without the help of pacemakers.

On speaking to UKA she reflected on her performance resulting in a time of 1:56.33 [UK Indoor Record / Third fastest indoor time ever]:

"It was a personal challenge for me today. I had to come to qualify for the worlds, and that is why I was only doing one round. But it was a good test. It is three years since I ran indoors, so I knew I had to go out there and stay focused. I didn’t set out to run that fast, but I knew I wanted to get the first 400m right. We didn’t set out to run a world lead but I started well and just kept it going. It was a nice surprise, it was a really strong day."

On targeting the indoor world record in the next few weeks: I" have been very vocal in the past about wanting to get it. I feel like it is my record to break. We’ll give it a good go."

A Career Defined by Gold and Grit

Keely’s rise to the pinnacle of middle-distance running has been nothing short of meteoric. Since her breakthrough silver at the Tokyo Olympics, where she broke Kelly Holmes' long-standing British record at just 19 years old, she has become a mainstay on the global podium.

Her 2024 season was the stuff of legends. She secured the European title in Rome, set a massive national record of 1:54.61 at the London Diamond League, and finally clinched that elusive Olympic Gold in Paris. This dominance saw her rightfully crowned the 2024 BBC Sports Personality of the Year and awarded an MBE in the 2025 New Year Honours.

Keely Hodgkinson - Image by Mark Dunn Photography

Looking Ahead: The World Record in Sight?

While she opted to skip the final in Birmingham to focus on her recovery and training, Keely’s sights are firmly set on the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Liévin later this week.

With her current form and a "healthier winter than she's had in years," the long-standing world indoor record of 1:55.82 is officially under threat. The scary part for her competitors? She admitted her record-breaking run in Birmingham felt like "a bit of an accident" during a tune-up session.

Keely Hodgkinson is no longer just a "rising star"—she is the standard-bearer for British athletics.

All images by Mark Dunn Photography

📊 Stat Attack: Keely Hodgkinson vs. The World (2026)

Keely Hodgkinson isn't just back; she is operating at a level that borders on the historic. Her performance at the UK Indoor Championships has set the tone for the entire 800m world, placing the long-standing world record under serious threat. Here is how her current form compares to her greatest rivals.

The 2026 World Leaderboard (800m)

Keely's "warm-up" in Birmingham was so fast that it gapped the rest of the world by nearly a full second.

The "All-Time" Watch

Keely’s 1:56.33 in Birmingham didn't just break records—it shifted the historical landscape of the event.

• World All-Time Rank: Keely is now the 3rd fastest woman in history indoors.

• The Target: Jolanda Čeplak’s World Indoor Record of 1:55.82 (set in 2002).

• The Gap: Keely is now just 0.51s away from becoming the fastest indoor 800m runner of all time.

Rivalry Check: The "Big Three"

While Keely is the current world leader, her main rivals from the Paris 2024 podium are preparing their responses for the outdoor season and the World Indoors in Poland:

1. Mary Moraa (KEN): The reigning World Champion (2023) and Diamond League winner (2025). Known for her tactical unpredictability and massive 400m speed.

2. Tsige Duguma (ETH): The Olympic silver medalist who famously pushed Keely in Paris. She remains the biggest threat to Keely’s front-running strategy.

3. Georgia Hunter Bell (GBR): The surprise package of 2025 who took silver in Tokyo. Her emergence creates a fascinating "internal" British rivalry that is pushing Keely to new heights.

Key Insight: Keely ran her 1:56.33 solo, leading from the gun with no pacemakers. In a competitive race with the likes of Moraa or Duguma pulling her through the 400m mark, experts predict she is capable of running into the 1:55-low territory.

All data compiled for Sports News-UK. Images by Mark Dunn Photography.