Keely Hodgkinson: Why the Olympic Champion Will Miss the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson has confirmed she will not compete at this summer's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, citing an exceptionally busy athletics calendar.

The Commonwealth Games are scheduled to begin in Glasgow on July 23, concluding on August 2. However, with the European Championships in Birmingham following just eight days later, athletes face a tight turnaround.

Keely Hodgkinson, who recently set a new world indoor 800m record, explained her decision to withdraw from the global event.

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"I'm currently not going to be competing [at the Commonwealths in Glasgow]," she stated as quoted by STV Sport.

"I love competing in front of a home crowd, but it’s such a busy year with Europeans and the Worlds. I’ve done that many championships before in a year, and it is a lot."

"I just had to decide on which one was best for me, but I’ll definitely be supporting," added the 23-year-old, who secured a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Keely Hodgkinson made the announcement, achieving a new personal best of 51.49 seconds in the 400m at the Scottish Athletics Indoor Invitational in Glasgow on Sunday.

The event at the Emirates Arena drew a crowd of 1,000 fans, who also saw her training partner, Olympic bronze medallist Georgia Hunter Bell, in action.

Georgia Hunter Bell delivered a commanding performance in the 800m, finishing first with a time of 1:57.80. Her run marked the fastest indoor 800m ever recorded by a woman in Scotland.

In contrast to Keely Hodgkinson, Goergia Hunter Bell confirmed her intention to return to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games.

"I cannot wait," she said. "My first ever team I made was the World Indoors in Glasgow [2024], so this track is really special to this home crowd and me. I definitely will be at the Commonwealth Games."

However, she remains undecided on her event. "I’m not sure what distance I’ll run. I’m still undecided, one or the other [800m or the mile]. We’re going to decide as the season goes on."

Both Keely Hodgkinson and Georgia Hunter Bell will now turn their focus to the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland at the end of the month.

Keely Hodgkinson will be a strong contender for a medal in the 800m, while Georgia Hunter Bell will compete in the 1,500m.