Keely Hodgkinson starts her athletics season at Stockholm Diamond League

Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson was awarded the Order of the British Empire for her services to athletics last week. Prince William, who presented Hodgkinson with the honour, told the 800m champion that his daughter was also a keen runner.

Keely Hodgkinson said she was feeling “very well” and was eager to get back on the track. The British runner has not competed since winning gold at the Paris Olympics last August after suffering a thigh injury.

The British record holder will make her first start of the Diamond League season in Stockholm on June 15. She has also confirmed her participation in this summer’s London Athletics Championships, where she set a meeting record, national record and personal best of 1:54.61 min last year.

In Stockholm, she will face Olympic medalists Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia and Mary Moraa of Kenya in a thrilling rematch from Paris Games. Although she is looking forward to her first race of the season, she admitted that the injury has caused her some anxiety.

“I feel like I’m out of shape because it will be 10 months by the time I compete”, she told in an interview. “But it’s nothing we haven’t done before. It will be a challenge, the first race will be intense because in my last race I literally became an Olympic champion. But I’m excited”, added she.