There is no doubt that Keely Hodgkinson is one of the world’s best athletes, only solidified by her taking the world indoor 800m record in February, but this Thursday (4) she is set to take on many of the best 400m runners.
Czechia’s reigning world indoor champion, Lurdes Gloria Manuel, Great Britain’s former world indoor champion, Amber Anning, the reigning European champion, Natalia Bukowiecka, the reigning European indoor champion, Lieke Klaver, and the reigning European U23 champion Henriette Jaeger. A start list of dreams, or nightmares.
Hodgkinson will be in amongst the best. But she is more than capable of not just holding her own, but potentially causing an upset.
During the world indoor 4x400m final in March, Great Britain fielded a surprising team that included Dina Asher-Smith and Hodgkinson, who less than an hour prior had won the 800m in a championship record time. But that didn’t stop Hodgkinson from going on to run the fastest split in that relay of 50.10, a race that also featured Klaver and Bukowiecka who led their teams.
Can Hodgkinson break the 50 second barrier?
Well she seems confident that she can, having said that she would love to tick off running a sub-50 400m, sub-two 800m, and sub-four 1500m across her career.
With the sub-two comfortably ticked off, many times, she could cross off one more step to achieving yet another unthinkable achievement in the 400m in Rome.
“The 400 for me is a bit of fun as well as something different,” she said. “The lineup in Rome is crazy.
“I’ve really thrown myself in the deep end. But it’s quite good to put myself in a position where on paper, I think I’m going in slowest and against girls that have been doing this event and are world finalists and Olympic medallists. But I’ve always considered myself a 400m-800m type athlete.
“I don’t think I’ve shown all my potential in the 400m and I got a bit of a glimpse of what I could do indoors so I’m really excited to bring that ¬outdoors. People over the years are like: ‘Keely’s got no speed’ but yes I do.”
The Brit is certainly far from new to the 400m, having taken bronze at the Espoo 2023 European Athletics U23 Championships over the distance, with countrywoman Yemi Mary John and Norway’s Jaeger taking first and second.
In March Hodgkinson also ran 51.49 over 400m indoors, unchallenged, so with a stellar line up in Rome set to push her like in that 4x400m indoor final, she could dip under 50 seconds.
Although, only one European woman has run sub-50 this year. Mary John, in May, at the Tokyo National Stadium, with 49.85.
The Olympic Stadium in Rome, which hosts the Golden Gala, is also considered a fast track since it’s relaying in 2024 ahead of the European Athletics Championships, part of the reason why it attracts the top athletes for the Diamond League each year.
Top competitors, an injury-free training block, a fast track, it’s all set and ready for Hodgkinson to take to the stage. But the question stands, can she do it? She very well could, and even if she doesn’t break 50, we are set for an incredible race.