Keely Hodgkinson returns to competition after a long break

• Keely Hodgkinson returns to competition after a long break.
• The athlete missed important tournaments due to injury.
• Hodgkinson aims to win a medal at the World Championship in Tokyo.

Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson spoke about her feelings before returning to the track after a year-long break due to injury. She did not compare this moment to winning gold at the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 due to the injury she sustained in the summer, and a series of subsequent setbacks.

Hodgkinson noted that her absence from competitions was "difficult," and she is eagerly waiting for her first start in the 800m at the Diamond League meetings in Silesia, Poland, scheduled for Saturday. She plans to compete at the World Championship in Tokyo, which will take place less than a month later.

The athlete admitted that missing the competition in London was particularly hard for her, as she wanted to perform in front of a home crowd. "It was a tough year, but I'm glad I can step back to the start," she said.

At the competitions in Poland, Hodgkinson will face competitors who have already shown good results this season, including Orital Noe from Botswana, who set the season's best time at 1:57.49, and Gabriela Gayanova from Slovakia, who was second at the European Championships in 2024.

"I am ready to compete and just want to show everything that I am capable of," she added. Hodgkinson also plans to compete again in four days at the Diamond League in Lausanne, where the 800m is the main event.

Tags: Sport