Olympic Champion Hodgkinson Wins Back-to-Back Diamond League 800m Races With Record Times

Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson has made a remarkable comeback from two hamstring injuries, delivering back-to-back victories at the Diamond League races in Poland and Lausanne, including a meeting record of 1:55.69 in Switzerland. Her recent world-leading time of 1:54.74 in Poland is the ninth-fastest 800m run in history and just shy of her British record of 1:54.61. Hodgkinson expressed surprise and satisfaction with her performances, emphasizing her hard training and readiness ahead of the World Championships in Tokyo next month. Despite challenging weather conditions, she demonstrated dominance in her races, pulling away decisively in the final lap and reinforcing her status as a favorite for gold. She also hinted at the possibility of breaking her British record again, aiming to approach the longstanding world record of 1:53.28, acknowledging the need for perfect conditions and pacing. Her training partner Georgia Hunter Bell finished third in Lausanne and is considering whether to focus on the 800m or 1500m at the upcoming championships.