Olympics 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson will not compete at London Diamond League

Olympics 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson will not compete in the Diamond League in London on July 19 as she continues her recovery from injury. The 23-year-old British runner has yet to start her outdoor season after tearing a hamstring in February. Her last race was winning the 800m at the Paris Olympics on August 5.

Keely Hodgkinson returned to full training after a minor relapse in June but has decided to delay the start of her season to ensure she is fully fit to compete. The London Diamond League comes too early in her recovery process.

The Manchester-born runner’s priority is to reach peak form for the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, in September.

Having won silver medals at the 2022 and 2023 world championships, she is hoping to claim gold this time.

Keely Hodgkinson, who was awarded the Order of the British Empire in May, won Olympic gold in the 800m in Paris last summer with an impressive time of 1:56.72 min.

She also set a British record of 1:54.61 min at the London Stadium in 2024, but the focus on winning another global medal means sacrificing the chance to compete on the same track this month.

Keely Hodgkinson is the latest big name to pull out of the Diamond League in London after Norwegian 1,500m star Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who was set to renew his rivalry with Britain’s Josh Kerr, also pulled out through injury.