Keely Hodgkinson Admits Underestimating Lilian Odira as She Shares Mixed Feelings After Tokyo 800m Loss

Keely Hodgkinson reflected on the 800m final, acknowledging Lilian Odira's strength while expressing conflicting emotions about the outcome.

Keely Hodgkinson has revealed that she did not expect Lilian Odira to unleash such a kick in the final meters of the race in the women’s 800m final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

The reigning Olympic 800m champion, going into the race, was confident about proving a point and hopefully adding another title, but things did not go as planned.

Keely Hodgkinson went into the race as one of the most decorated athletes, having won a silver at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in the same stadium.

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She also won silver at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, bronze at the 2023 edition of the global showpiece in Budapest, Hungary, before claiming the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Keely Hodgkinson Opens Up About 800m and Lilian Odira’s Quality

Going into the race, Keely Hodgkinson admitted that she knew Lilian Odira would be a threat, but did not consider her as lethal as she is.

She pointed out that, however, she misjudged the Kenyan’s ability and ended up losing the 800m final as she claimed bronze.

Keely Hodgkinson rounded up the podium in 1:54.91. Lilian Odira clocked a personal best time of 1:54.62, breaking the 42-year-old mark of 1:54.68 set by Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983.

“I think like coming into the round, you knew that she was going to be a bit of a threat up there. Maybe didn't expect her to go that quickly and come by. But that's the beauty of championship racing,” Keely Hodgkinson said in an interview with Athletics Weekly.

“You know, it was me here in Tokyo in 2021 and came through with that British record at 19. So you can't count anybody out.

“And that is the great thing about this sport is anything can happen, and it can go in your favour, and it can go out of your favour. But I'm just happy to still be one of the world's best, you know.”

Keely Hodgkinson: At the Moment, I'm Like Not Stunned

Keely Hodgkinson added that she was unsure whether to celebrate or get mad at herself for not winning the gold because that is the medal she really wanted.

The Briton revealed that with the season she has had, she can only be grateful, but pointed out that she was looking to go ahead and win a gold medal.

Keely Hodgkinson suffered an injury after the Paris Olympic Games, and it has been a bother up until she made her season debut at the Diamond League Meeting in Silesia in August.

She then raced at the Diamond League Meeting in Lausanne before heading to the World Athletics Championships.

“I think at the moment I'm like not stunned, but a little bit like just trying to take it all in, like a mix of emotions. Like one part of me is proud to make another podium. So, I'm really pleased with that,” Keely Hodgkinson revealed.

“I’ve had a slow year and dealt with problems, and I'm really proud of my team and myself for dealing with that. But on the other hand, like obviously, I came up the fastest despite all that, and I had high expectations for myself and wanted to build on that, and maybe if I'd had more races might have been a bit more confident or felt a bit better.

“But I did the best with the cards I was dealt. We got two medals for M11. Which is amazing…Maybe not the order or whatever, but yeah, I'm proud of us for that. And I think overall, I'll look back and I'll be pleased with how I've dealt with it.”

Despite missing out on gold, Keely Hodgkinson remains proud of her resilience, vowing to use the lessons from Tokyo as fuel for her pursuit of future titles.