Keely Hodgkinson Breaks 800m World Record

Keely Hodgkinson has broken the women's indoor 800m world record, set by Slovenia's Jolanda Ceplak on Hodgkinson's birthday just under 24 years ago.

The Olympic gold medallist crossed the line in 1:54.87, shaving nearly a second off the previous record of 1:55.8.

23-year-old Hodgkinson broke the rarely contested 600m record during her previous indoor season three years ago. She joins triple jumper Jonathan Edwards as the only British athlete to hold a current world record in one of Athletics’ championship events.

This has been a long time coming. Hodgkinson was predicted to break the record in February 2024, before a double hamstring injury that marred her first year as Olympic champion, following her gold medal win in Paris.
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It has been nearly 43 years since Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvílová set the outright world 800m record by running 1:53.28 in July 1983, and Hodgkinson will be chasing that down in the upcoming European Championships in Poland.