Keely Hodgkinson says she could not be in finer condition to chase her first world title this weekend, having continued her progress after shattering the indoor 800‑metre record last month.
The Olympic champion enters the world indoor championships in Kujawy Pomorze, Poland, as the clear favourite for gold, and sounded confident when questioned about her training following the 1 min 54.87 sec performance that eclipsed Jolanda Ceplak’s mark in Liévin in February.
“Training has gone really well,” Hodgkinson said, noting that her campaign begins with heats on Friday morning. “I’m pleased with where I am. As the indoor season unfolds, races get quicker, repetitions shorten and recovery periods lengthen, so you naturally arrive in better shape, which is exciting.”
Her prospects received an extra lift when her chief rival, Tsige Duguma – who placed second to her at the 2024 Paris Games – was among four Ethiopian athletes barred from travelling to Poland because of visa problems. Hodgkinson, however, cautioned that the event will not be decided solely by swift times but by the ability to perform well across three rounds in three days.
“Fast times are great, but championships are a different animal, and three rounds in three days is another challenge,” she added. “It’s tough. I’ve done it before and I do appreciate a rest day. Still, I’m looking forward to it and the past month has been excellent. I couldn’t ask for a better position, honestly.”
A medal here would complete the collection for the 24‑year‑old, who has already stood on podiums at the Olympics, world championships, European indoor and outdoor events and the Commonwealth Games, but has missed the world indoor podium three times through injury.
“It’s the one medal I don’t have, so it would be wonderful to take it,” Hodgkinson said. “Until I cross the line I won’t jinx anything. I’m thrilled to be here and eager to compete.”
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