Keely Hodgkinson sets new British record – but doesn’t win ‘one of the quickest 800m races’

Keely Hodgkinson has set a new British record in the women’s 800m.

However, her personal best time was not enough to claim victory at Sunday’s Diamond League meet in Stockholm.

Getty

Instead, Audrey Werro of Switzerland set a new national record of her own with a world-leading performance at the Olympic Stadium.

Hodgkinson broke her own British record that she set in 2024 with a time of 1:54.33.

She was overtaken by Werro in the final 100m of the race, though, with her rival crossing the line in first.

Werro finished with a Diamond League record time of 1:53.98 as she became the second-fastest woman ever across the distance.

Despite being pipped to victory, Hodgkinson’s time is also the third-fastest of all-time.

However, neither woman could go quicker than Jarmila Kratochvila’s world record pace from 43 years ago.

The Czech athlete’s time of 1:53.28 from July 1983 remains unbeaten over four decades on.

Hodgkinson previously set a new indoor world record back in February.

Hodgkinson reacts

Speaking after the race, the Olympic champion admitted: “It was a quick one, a really interesting race.

“When Audrey went off I was like ‘just chill’, but massive respect to her.

AFP

“That was a great race and it will motivate me more in training to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

The 24-year-old claimed Olympic gold in Paris two years ago after winning silver at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

Hodgkinson added: “I was a little bit apprehensive coming in, not quite knowing exactly where I was with the 800m, because we have been doing some 400 training and are going to put together the 800m now.

“But it makes me excited because I can build on this great start. It’s still very early.

“It’s good to have a run in your legs because you can learn what you can do better but overall I am quite happy with that race because I made the right decisions, but Audrey was just better on the day.”

Duplantis beaten

Elsewhere at the same meet, there was a shock in the men’s pole vault as home favourite Mondo Duplantis suffered a rare defeat.

Getty

The world record holder’s winning streak has ended as he was beaten for the first time in 40 events.

Australia’s Kurtis Marschall claimed victory after clearing a height of 5.90m to see off the challenge of Duplantis.

His Swedish rival is a back-to-back Olympic champion as well as setting 15 pole vault world records during his career.