Keely Hodgkinson says this year’s London Diamond League could be a “battle of world records” as she looks to topple athletics’ oldest mark on home soil.
The Olympic 800m champion will return to the London Stadium competition for the first time since breaking the British record in the run-up to her crowning moment at the Paris 2024 Games.
After a 2025 disrupted by injuries, the 24-year-old says she hasn’t missed a single session during the best winter training block of her career, as demonstrated when she broke the indoor world record in February.
In the sport’s first season in five years without an outdoor world championships as a priority, Hodgkinson’s attention has been focused on the 43-year-old world record of 800 meters of one minute and 53.28 seconds, set by Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova in July 1983.
His British teammate Josh Kerr has already announced his intention to break the world mile record, in place since 1999, in London on Saturday, July 18.
“Obviously I would love for that to happen at home,” Hodgkinson said, commenting on where he would ideally set the record this summer.
“I’m really excited about London and the crowds. As a Brit, competing there is a lot of fun.”
“It’s definitely the biggest thing I’m looking forward to on this year’s calendar.
“It could be a battle for world records. Who can get a better one?” she joked.