Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson admits she has found it “upsetting” to be out of action for over a year.
The 23-year-old has not raced since claiming gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics after sustaining a hamstring injury in February, then suffering setbacks – twice-postponing her season debut.
Hodgkinson will return to the track on Saturday in the 800m at the Silesia Diamond League meet, though Hodgkinson’s signature event is not a “diamond” discipline in Poland.
“It’s been a frustrating year for real,” said Hodgkinson, who still hopes to be in fighting shape for the World Championships in Tokyo, now less than one month away.
“Coming back into June, not being able to do anything and it had been so long, coming off the back of winning the Olympics last year, not ideal at all that I couldn’t even get on the start line.
“It’s definitely been a bit upsetting at times. Missing London was hardest for me, because it was so good last year. I just wanted to be there in front of my home crowd, especially coming back after the Olympics.
“It’s been frustrating but it makes the good times sweeter and it makes it even better to be here now.
“I think tomorrow is just a stepping stone on the way there. I’m looking forward to getting out there, just being competitive again. I’ve come out ready to go, so I’m just excited to put something together.”
Hodgkinson was forced to pull out of the inaugural edition of her eponymous Keely Klassic event in February, then the Stockholm and London Diamond Leagues.
It was at the latter last season that Hodgkinson set a new national record of one minute 54.61 seconds in the 800m, weeks before becoming just the third British female Olympic champion at the distance after Ann Packer and Dame Kelly Holmes.
Hodgkinson’s trip to Poland has already got off to a speedy start.
She revealed: “The guys yesterday, the organisers, picked us up in a Porsche, we get about 10 minutes in and they were like, ‘do you want to drive it?’
“I was like, ‘of course I want to drive it!’. He was actually being serious, so I got in the car and drove it all the way back. It was fun.”
Hodgkinson hopes to secure her first world title in Japan after back to back silvers at the last two championships, and is making the best of what remains in her control.
The Lausanne Diamond League on August 20th – where the 800m is a diamond discipline, is next up.
Hodgkinson added: “It’s been a long time. Over a year since Paris. It wasn’t my plan to be this late, but I’m just super happy to get back on the start line.
“I’ve missed it. I’ve missed it a lot. This is what I trained to do, so I can’t wait to go out there and just give it my absolute best and we’ll see what happens.”
PA
