Keely Hodgkinson misses main race in opposition to rival as coach breaks silence on return
Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson missed her Brussels showdown against rival Audrey Werro due to injury, with her team providing an important update on her return plans
Team GB hero Keely Hodgkinson was forced to watch from a distance this weekend(Image: Annabel Lee-Ellis/PA Wire)
Team GB hero Keely Hodgkinson was forced to watch from a distance this weekend as she missed out on a blockbuster Diamond League final showdown in Brussels. The 24-year-old Olympic champion had been set to lock horns with Swiss sensation Audrey Werro in a mouth-watering women’s 800m clash.
Fans were eager to see the golden girl go head-to-head with Werro, who has taken the track by storm as the fastest woman in the world this year.
It would have marked their first meeting since Werro stormed to victory in the European Athletics Championship final, leaving the Brit taking home silver.
Hodgkinson was unable to line up for the two-lap showpiece in Belgium(Image: https://www.instagram.com/keely.hodgkinson/?hl=en-gb)
However, Hodgkinson was unable to line up for the two-lap showpiece in Belgium as she continues her recovery from a frustrating hamstring strain.
The setback comes just days after the two-time European champion pulled out of the Zurich Diamond League meeting.
In Hodgkinson’s absence, Werro claimed victory in Brussels, although she was pushed to the limit.
Hodgkinson has not competed since her silver-medal run on August 14(Image: Getty)
Netherlands star Femke Broeders-Bol came agonisingly close to stealing the win on the home straight, but Werro held on to cross the line in 1:54.75, just 0.06s ahead of her Dutch rival. Ethiopia’s Saida Tsehaye took third in 1:57.57.
Hodgkinson has not competed since her silver-medal run on August 14 at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.
It sparked speculation on social media that her season was over and that she would miss the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Hungary.
Keely Hodgkinson will be in action in Budapest after her team confirmed her return(Image: NurPhoto, NurPhoto via Getty Images)
But her camp has swiftly poured cold water on those fears. Addressing the rumours directly, her coach Trevor Painter shot down claims on X that she would miss the season finale, replying to one journalist: “She will be there mate”
The middle-distance icon also dropped a massive hint to her followers on TikTok, posting a video from the back of a car accompanied by a Hungarian flag emoji.
It sets up a colossal finale in Budapest, where the world’s best athletes will battle it out for a massive £110,000 top prize at the three-day showpiece event.
