After an injury-blighted first season as Olympic champion, 2026 is about one thing for Keely Hodgkinson: “domination”.
The 24-year-old captured her first world indoor title in commanding fashion as she claimed 800m gold in a championship record time on a historic night for Great Britain in Poland on Sunday.
That success came one month after she smashed the long-standing women’s indoor 800m world record, set by Slovenia’s Jolanda Ceplak on the day the Briton was born in 2002.
The first of two serious hamstring injuries prevented her from attacking that mark 12 months ago, and she was forced to wait 376 days to race again following her crowning moment at Paris 2024.
But Hodgkinson – branded ‘Keely 2.0’ within her training group following her impressive rebuild in the gym – is already making up for lost time.
“My word this year has been domination,” Hodgkinson told BBC Sport.
“When I’m in the shape of my life, why leave it to chance?
“If you want to beat me, I’ll make you work hard for it.”
Hodgkinson made further history by becoming Britain’s first women’s 800m world champion – indoors or outdoors – crossing the line more than a second clear of her rivals in one minute 55.30 seconds.
Five whirlwind years have passed since Hodgkinson announced herself on the international stage by winning a first major title at the European indoors in Torun, going on to claim silver on her Olympic debut later that summer.
Hodgkinson still managed to salvage silverware from her challenging 2025 by making the world podium in Tokyo six months ago and is ultimately appreciative of the perspective that setback has given her.
She says she now feels reconnected to her “fearless” 19-year-old self – and is already making up for missed opportunities.
After the “healthiest” winter training she has had for several years, Hodgkinson is in seemingly unstoppable form, with European and Commonwealth titles available on home soil this summer.
Hodgkinson’s latest triumph leaves upgrading from silver to gold at the world outdoors and Commonwealths as the final frontiers as far as her international medal collection is concerned.
But her historic start to the season has also only increased anticipation surrounding a tilt at athletics’ longest-standing world record – the 43-year outdoor 800m world record of 1:53.28, set by Jarmila Kratochvilova.
“It has been such a fun few days. I’m really grateful to be here and to be healthy. I’m glad I could show what I know I can do,” said Hodgkinson.
“To get three golds in half an hour is absolutely amazing. We absolutely smashed it.”
