Keely Hodgkinson Shares World Record Attempt Update After Prefontaine Classic Defeat to Lilian Odira

Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson has explained what went wrong after she was beaten by Kenya's Lilian Odira in the women's 800m at the Prefontaine Classic.

Keely Hodgkinson went into the race as the favourite but had to settle for second place after clocking 1:56.73, while world champion Lilian Odira stormed to victory in 1:56.19.

The race marked Hodgkinson's first competitive outing since withdrawing from the women's 800m final at the UK Athletics Championships due to an injury scare, making her return to the track a closely watched affair.

Reflecting on the race, Keely Hodgkinson admitted she had not expected the outcome, revealing that she had gone into the meeting carrying the effects of a recent fall that disrupted her preparations.

The world 800m bronze medallist explained that the incident left her struggling physically just days before the competition, making it uncertain whether she would even be fit enough to compete.

Keely Hodgkinson revealed that she was relieved to have made it to the start line despite the setback, but acknowledged that her performance fell short of the standards she expects of herself.

She noted that the disappointment of the defeat was still fresh, making it difficult to immediately analyse what had happened during the race.

Keely Hodgkinson added that she would review her performance with her coach before deciding on the next steps, insisting her attention was already shifting towards bouncing back in her upcoming races.

She also disclosed that although the fall did not result in serious bruising, it left her with painful cuts that affected her build-up to the Prefontaine Classic.

“It was shocking, to be honest. It wasn't that good. It's been a bit of a week. My knees are taped up. I took a bad fall last week, so four days ago, I couldn't even walk, so I guess I should take that off to be able to line up. I want to do a lot more than that,” Keely Hodgkinson told reporters.

“Because the emotions are quite raw straight after. So yeah, it's a bit of a tough one. I can't even really remember it. So, I'll talk to my coach and see how I feel. And yeah, we'll just focus on the next one. Yesterday, two days ago. Happened just before I flew out. Took a bitty bad fall on a cool down. Luckily, no bruises, but some deep cuts.”

Keely Hodgkinson admitted that the aftermath of the fall had made even routine movements uncomfortable in the days leading up to the race, disrupting what would normally have been a smooth build-up.

Despite the physical discomfort, she remained confident that her fitness levels had not been significantly affected and believed she was capable of delivering a much stronger performance.

She explained that she recovered sufficiently to make the trip and complete a training session before the competition, which gave her optimism heading into the race.

However, Hodgkinson acknowledged that competing against a world-class field leaves little margin for error, with even minor setbacks capable of influencing the outcome.

“No, I think I arrived just in time. Like, the race had been 12 hours prior, maybe a bit more uncomfortable. I managed to train yesterday and felt pretty good, but yeah, just when you're racing this kind of people, as any little thing can, it's not really ideal. But it is what it is. I just did the best I could,” Keely Hodgkinson added.

Looking ahead to the upcoming London Diamond League, where she is expected to mount an attempt on the women's 800m world record, Keely Hodgkinson admitted it was still too early to assess her chances following the disappointment in Eugene.

She said her immediate priority was to regain confidence, return to consistent training and ensure she was in the right frame of mind before taking on such a significant challenge.

The Briton expressed excitement about competing in front of a home crowd alongside fellow British star Georgia Hunter Bell, noting that the atmosphere in London always provides extra motivation.

Keely Hodgkinson added that she is determined to produce a much-improved performance after her latest outing, explaining that setbacks can be mentally draining but insisting she was focused on recovering quickly and responding positively in her next race.

“I couldn't even tell you. I have no idea. I'm just excited to, obviously, Georgia's been announced, so G and I will take it to a home crowd, which I'm always excited about, and hopefully I can do a little bit better over there,” Keely Hodgkinson added.

“I think I'm just going to get my confidence back, put together some good sessions and just mentally prepare. I think something like this is just a toll up here. So yeah, I'll do my best to bounce back from this.”