Keely Hodgkinson at the UK Indoor Championships (© Getty Images)
Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson got her 2026 campaign underway with a stunning world-leading run of 1:56.33 to win her 800m heat at the UK Indoor Championships in Birmingham on Saturday (14).
The world bronze medallist, competing for the first time since October last year, was using this weekend as a tune-up ahead of her appearance at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Lievin next week, where she’s targeting an even faster time.
Running solo, Hodgkinson passed through 200m in 27.36 and reached half-way in 56.28. She maintained that pace through 600m (1:26.11) and continued stretching away to win in 1:56.33.
She took almost a second off her own British short track record (1:57.18) and moved to third on the world short track all-time list.
“I’m in really good shape at the moment and I've seen in training I am,” said Hodgkinson, who had a delayed start to her 2025 season due to injury. “We have some high hopes for the next couple of weeks for the indoors.
“I’ve had my healthiest winter for years. I’m not taking any of it for granted to be honest. It was so frustrating being on the sidelines for such a long time. I’m just happy to be able to do an indoor season and have nothing holding me back.”
Elsewhere in Birmingham, Dina Asher-Smith was a clear winner of the women’s 60m, clocking a championship record of 7.05 – just 0.02 behind her own British record. World 200m silver medallist Amy Hunt was second in 7.15.
World indoor champion Jeremiah Azu took the men’s title in 6.56.
Molly Caudery, the 2024 world indoor champion, opened her season by winning the women’s pole vault with 4.65m.
