Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson will compete for her first World Championship gold at 11:35am this morning in the women's 800m final in Tokyo. The 23-year-old Briton has dominated the event since winning silver at the previous two World Championships in 2022 and 2023, but injury struggles nearly derailed her season.
Hodgkinson barely raced this year due to two hamstring injuries, making her appearance in Tokyo all the more remarkable. Her devastating return to form came at the Diamond League in Silesia last month, where she set a meeting record of one minute and 54.74 seconds - her first race in 376 days.
British medal hopes
Great Britain has managed only three medals so far at these championships, according to the Independent, making Hodgkinson's race crucial for the team's overall success. Fellow Briton Georgia Hunter Bell will join her in the final after finishing second in her semi-final, giving Britain two chances at the podium.
Hodgkinson cruised through Friday's semi-final with a time of one minute 57.53 seconds, nearly three seconds off her season's best. The comfortable qualification suggests she still has significant room for improvement when it matters most.
Personal stakes
Speaking ahead of the final, Hodgkinson revealed this potential victory would mean more to her than her Olympic gold from Paris last summer. "This would mean more to me than last year. Just the journey here makes it that much sweeter," she said.
The Manchester Evening News reports that Hodgkinson's success has transformed her financially, with her net worth estimated at £250,000 before the Paris Games and potentially rising to £4 million through endorsements by the next Olympics. Her journey to the top has been remarkable, having overcome a mastoidectomy at age 13 to remove a non-cancerous tumour that affected her hearing and balance.
The competition
Defending champion Mary Moraa from Kenya will look to retain her title after winning in Budapest last year. The full field includes strong contenders from Kenya, USA, Switzerland and Australia, setting up what promises to be a thrilling final.
Hodgkinson enters as the heavy favourite despite her injury-affected season, with her recent Diamond League performance proving she remains the athlete to beat in the 800m.
Sources used: "Metro", "Manchester Evening News", "BBC", "Independent" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
