Keely Hodgkinson, the Olympic 800m champion and British record holder, pulled out of the women's 400m final at the UK Athletics Championships in Birmingham on Sunday, leaving the start line in tears just seconds before the race. Her camp quickly moved to play down injury fears, attributing the withdrawal to muscle tightness that emerged at the end of her warm-up.
Precautionary Withdrawal Amidst World Record Ambitions
Hodgkinson had entered the 400m as a speed-work opportunity ahead of her main target: breaking Jarmila Kratochvilova's 43-year-old 800m world record of 1:53.28 later this summer. After qualifying fifth fastest for the final with a time of 51.62 on Saturday, she emerged for the race and began pre-race strides before stopping, grimacing, and slowly moving to the side of the track. After a few moments, she crouched down and began crying before being led away as the race proceeded without her.
In a statement, Hodgkinson said: “I wasn’t feeling 100% standing on the start line, so I made the tough decision to step away and not race. I didn’t want to risk anything ahead of this summer.” She later posted on Instagram: “Leaving champs healthy!! Sometimes the hard decision is saying no, body wasn’t feeling 100[%], exciting summer ahead.”
Her coaches insisted the withdrawal was purely precautionary. They indicated the issue was muscle tightness, which had developed at the end of her warm-up just before the race. Hodgkinson has recent experience of serious injury, having missed much of the 2025 season due to a torn hamstring in February of that year. She returned in mid-August but could only manage bronze at the world championships.
Georgia Hunter Bell Shines with Championship Record
Minutes before Hodgkinson's withdrawal, her training partner Georgia Hunter Bell delivered a dominant performance in the women's 800m, winning the national title in a championship record of 1:55.93. Hunter Bell, the world silver medallist, led from gun to tape in an unchallenged front-running display. “I’ve only just found out,” she said when asked about Hodgkinson. “I’m not sure what’s up because she was warming up really well. We were warming up together and she was looking amazing. She knows she’s in really good shape.”
Hunter Bell now sits third in the world this year behind Hodgkinson and Swiss athlete Audrey Werro. She will also compete over 800m at the London Diamond League on 18 July. When asked about her own proximity to a world-record challenge, Hunter Bell said: “I’ve realised over the last few years that there’s no point putting limits on anything. Everything is getting faster and faster. Today was a frontrunning job on my own after a round yesterday, so it makes me really confident going into London. I feel like all the times come when there’s a good race. The better the race, the faster the time will be.”
Hodgkinson's Upcoming Schedule and World Record Bid
Hodgkinson is next scheduled to race over 800m at the Eugene Diamond League in Oregon on 4 July, followed by a potential tilt at the world record on home soil at the London Diamond League on 18 July. She had hoped to sharpen her speed in Birmingham this weekend, but her camp remains confident that the precautionary withdrawal will not derail her summer plans. In her absence from the 400m final, Amber Anning, the British record holder and former world indoor champion, claimed gold in a championship record of 50.16.
Other Highlights from the UK Championships
In the men's 400m, Olympic silver medallist Matt Hudson-Smith regained the British title with a time of 44.45, dedicating his Father's Day victory to his daughter. “Last year, there were a lot of complications,” he said. “It was a whirlwind. I was at the hospital bed for five days straight due to my wife’s birth and then when I got to the world championships I was injured. It was a bit tough. But it’s part of the sport. My coach said I should make a statement to show that I’m back.”
The women's 200m saw a shock result as world silver medallist Amy Hunt, who had won the 100m title on Saturday, was beaten by 21-year-old Success Eduan. Eduan clocked a personal best of 22.43 to claim her first national outdoor title. In the men's 200m, British record holder Zharnel Hughes, who had been pipped to the 100m crown by Romell Glave on Saturday, made amends with a comprehensive victory in 20.04. Jake Wightman took men's 800m gold after a battle in the straight with Ben Pattison.
