Keely Hodgkinson all set for big 800m test in Lausanne

Olympic champion takes on Georgia Hunter Bell, amongst others, at Diamond League occasion on Wednesday with fellow Brits Max Burgin, Morgan Lake and Zharnel Hughes additionally in motion

After blowing away the cobwebs in Poland on Saturday with a scintillating comeback run of 1:54.74, Keely Hodgkinson goals to construct on that efficiency on the Diamond League in Lausanne on Wednesday (Aug 20).

Regardless of not racing since her Olympic 800m victory in Paris final 12 months and overcoming three separate hamstring accidents, she recorded the second quickest time of her profession as she got here inside a whisker of her British document of 1:54.61.

Her surprisingly high quality kind has renewed hypothesis that she may give Jarmila Kratochvílová’s long-standing world document of 1:53.28 a scare this season.

Final 12 months her coach Trevor Painter stated: „I do know there’s a mid to excessive 1:53 in there,“ after seeing his athlete run an 800m predictor session of 400m in 56 seconds useless adopted by 30 seconds’ relaxation after which 400m in 57 seconds useless forward of the Olympics.

This summer time the 23-year-old British runner seems to be in comparable, and even superior, kind.

Kratochvílová’s mark from 1983 is the oldest world document within the e book and is mired in controversy. Regardless of being a part of an Jap bloc system that was famend for doping, the 74-year-old has all the time denied knowingly taking medicine. As a substitute, herself and her coach, Miroslav Kvac, insisted her performances had been right down to numerous bodily work throughout her upbringing on a farm, large quantities of weight coaching and enormous quantities of vitamin B12.

When there have been solutions up to now to scrap previous world data, Kratochvílová has reacted angrily. “Full nonsense,” she stated in 2017. “I’ve by no means taken banned substances.”

Reacting to criticism of her muscled physique, she added: “While you work as onerous as I did, it’s a must to sacrifice a few of your seems to be. The ladies of the West don’t work as onerous as I did.”

In keeping with stories on the time, Kratochvílová was so motivated that she educated at 4am and refused to have a day relaxation. There are tales of her sprinting in spikes on a frozen pond when her native cinder observe was lined in snow within the winter and, when as soon as recovering from Achilles surgical procedure, she ran repetitions by way of a foot of water in a pool carrying a weighted vest and put a gasoline masks on to limit her respiration.

The world document apart, actually Hodgkinson’s British document seems to be set for enchancment in coming weeks and in Lausanne she’s going to wish to cement her standing as favorite to win the world title in Tokyo in September.

READ MORE: Keely’s killer coaching session

Hodgkinson, who was unbeaten throughout 2024 over 800m, may also wish to enhance on her final race in Lausanne, when she misplaced to Mary Moraa within the Swiss metropolis in 2023.

Rivals on Wednesday embody coaching associate Georgia Hunter Bell, world indoor champion Prudence Sekgodiso of South Africa, European under-23 champion Audrey Werro of Switzerland, Addison Wiley of the USA, Rénelle Lamote of France and Oratile Nowe of Botswana, the latter of whom Hodgkinson beat in Poland.

Followers can be happy to listen to that, in contrast to final weekend in Poland, the ladies’s 800m in Lausanne falls inside the Diamond League’s two-hour window of televised occasions.

It’s a massive day for Hodgkinson’s M11 coaching group usually. For Hunter Bell the race will supply the largest clue but as as to whether she’s going to sort out the 800m or 1500m on the World Championships.

On the identical night in Tooting, London, coaching companions Ava Lloyd, Erin Wallace and Sarah Healy can be chasing quick occasions at a British Milers’ Membership assembly.

In Lausanne, the boys’s 800m B race options Ethan Hussey from the M11 group plus fellow UK Champs finalists Alex Botterill and Callum Dodds.

The UK champion himself, Max Burgin, runs in an A race in Lausanne that features Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya.

Burgin ran an enormous PB of 1:42.36 behind Wanyonyi on the Diamond League in London subsequent month and can be hoping for additional enhancements in Lausanne.

Wanyonyi is the person to beat, although, as he has received in London, Oslo, Stockholm and Monaco this season with a better of 1:41.44 in Monaco, whereas his PB of 1:41.11 was set in Lausanne final 12 months.

World champion Marco Arop, European champion Gabriel Tual and final 12 months’s world indoor champion Bryce Hoppel additionally compete along with reigning world indoor champion Josh Hoey and Olympic finalists Mohamed Attaoui and Tshepiso Masalela.

Plenty of Brits are in Lausanne seeking to check their kind towards the world’s finest forward of Tokyo.  Zharnel Hughes, the British 100m and 200m record-holder, traces up within the 100m towards Olympic champion Noah Lyles of the USA, amongst others, though Kishane Thompson of Jamaica has withdrawn.

Morgan Lake has additionally proven high quality kind this 12 months with excessive leap victory on the London Diamond League. In Lausanne she as soon as once more faces world record-holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh, plus Australian duo Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson, whereas heptathlon star Nafi Thiam of Belgium can be within the discipline.

Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita are in a ladies’s 200m line-up which is led by two-time world champion Shericka Jackson of Jamaica

British champions Alastair Chalmers and Elise Thorner race within the males’s 400m hurdles and ladies’s 3000m steeplechase respectively.

The majority of the motion unfolds on Wednesday evening with protection on BBC2 within the UK from 7-9pm, however the males’s pole vault is on Tuesday evening within the metropolis centre.

Timetable and outcomes right here