Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson will miss the rest of the 2024 athletics season because of injury.
The 22-year-old had been set to compete in the Diamond League finals in Brussels in September. Britain’s Hodgkinson won all nine of her 800m races in 2024, capped by winning gold at the Paris Games earlier this month.
“No more races for me,” she posted on Instagram. “Unfortunately I picked up a small injury, but we achieved everything I had hoped to do this year, thank you for all the love and support. “See you on the track next year.”
Hodgkinson defended her European 800m title in 2024 and broke her national record by running one minute 54.61 seconds at the London Diamond League in July.
Hodgkinson will also target a first World Championship title in Tokyo in September 2025, having won silver in each of the past two years.
Hodgkinson was recently reported to have set her sights on breaking the 800m women’s world record which has stood for more than four decades.
The 22-year-old won gold over the distance at the Olympic Games in Paris and has now targeted one of the oldest track world records.
Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova ran a record 800m time of one minute 53.28 seconds at Munich’s Olympic Stadium in July 1983.
Hodgkinson’s winning time in Paris was 1:56.72, but her confidence has soared since clocking 1:54.61 in London in July.
“It’s something I’ve thought about since I raced in London,” she was quoted as saying.
“I think that record has stood for so long. It’s been a long time since anyone has hit (one minute) 53 seconds, so I’d love to do that. I think I can. I now believe I can do that,” she added.
