Keely Hodgkinson Provides Health Update After Tearful Withdrawal from UK Championships

Olympics 800m Keely Hodgkinson has reassured fans that she is "healthy" after a tearful and abrupt withdrawal from the 400m final at the UK Athletics Championships in Birmingham.

The world record hopeful was seen on the track during her pre-race warm-up before making the sudden decision not to compete, sparking immediate concern.

However, her coach, Jenny Meadows, later confirmed the move was a precautionary measure due to hamstring tightness and that a physiotherapist had given the 24-year-old the "all-clear."

Speaking shortly after pulling out, Hodgkinson explained her reasoning. "I wasn’t feeling 100 per cent standing on the start line, so I made the tough decision to step away and not race," she said.

She later took to Instagram to elaborate, writing, "Leaving champs healthy! Sometimes the hard decision is saying no. Body wasn’t feeling 100 per cent, exciting summer ahead!"

Meadows, who coaches Hodgkinson alongside her husband Trevor Painter, addressed concerns on social media. "Thankfully it was just a precautionary measure. She’s fine now she’s seen the physio and got the all clear," she posted on X. "She’s not injured! It was a precaution as her hamstring felt tight... We don’t take any risks now and neither does Keely."

This cautious approach is understandable given Hodgkinson's history with injuries, including a 376-day layoff, much of which was hamstring-related. She made a remarkable comeback last August, setting a world-leading 800m time before winning bronze at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo after only two races that season.

In Hodgkinson's absence, Amber Anning successfully defended her 400m title. The day also saw several British fathers achieve success, including 400m hurdles champion Alastair Chalmers, who became a father just days earlier, and 200m champion Zharnel Hughes.

In other news from the championships, Dina Asher-Smith qualified for the 200m final but confirmed she had only ever planned to run in the heat on Sunday.