Keely Hodgkinson targets European 800m title in Birmingham

Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson enters the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham seeking her third consecutive 800m title. Despite a challenging outdoor season marked by a muscle injury in June and a fall during training, Hodgkinson has achieved significant milestones, including setting a new British outdoor record of 1:54.33 and breaking the indoor 800m world record.

She faces intense competition from Swiss athlete Audrey Werro, who recently recorded a time of 1:53.98 in Paris, the fastest since 1983. Hodgkinson also contends with Femke Broeders-Bol, a two-time world 400m hurdles champion who has transitioned to the 800m event. Hodgkinson has expressed motivation to compete in front of a home crowd, stating that achieving gold on British soil would be "incredibly special."