Keely Hodgkinson breaks long-standing indoor 800m world record in Liévin, France

Keely Hodgkinson shattered the long-standing women's indoor 800m world record in Liévin, crossing the line in 1: 54. 87 and lowering the previous mark of 1: 55. 82. The performance delivered a decisive statement early in the indoor season and reshaped the short-track 800m hierarchy.

Keely Hodgkinson's record run and immediate context

Hodgkinson's 1: 54. 87 took almost one second off the previous world best of 1: 55. 82, which had stood since 3 March 2002—the same day the champion was born. The Olympic champion went through 400m in 55. 56 seconds, ahead of the planned halfway split, then strode away from the field on the back straight and maintained control to the finish. A pacemaker had been tasked with a 55. 8s 400m split, and the race setup included high-performance aids designed to target the historic mark.

This world record came five days after Hodgkinson set a new British indoor 800m mark of 1: 56. 33 at the UK Indoor Championships. That earlier run moved her up the all-time list and signalled clear intent for Liévin, where she had said she wanted to see how fast the group could go rather than focus solely on the record.

How the achievement fits Hodgkinson's recent trajectory

At 23, Hodgkinson has navigated significant setbacks and striking gains in recent seasons. She recovered from two serious hamstring tears the previous season, using gym work to build strength and power that her training group nicknamed 'Keely 2. 0'. Those rehabilitative gains contributed to a return to form that included a world podium finish following a long absence and the Olympic title.

Her Liévin victory also places her among a small group of British athletes who currently hold world records in championship events. The run represented a clear continuation of the momentum she established with the national record in Birmingham and an emphatic response to the challenges of the preceding months.

Race mechanics, rivals and the short-track picture

The Liévin field included Ethiopia's Olympic silver medallist and contenders from Switzerland and other European nations. Anna Gryc was tasked with pacing the race and delivered the planned 400m target; Hodgkinson held the green wavelights representing the record pace and capitalised when the opportunity presented itself. Her rival list this season had featured the athletes she beat in Liévin and the woman she replaced as the season's fastest earlier in the year.

The previous all-time list featured the 2002 mark and other historic times that had lingered amid controversy surrounding later doping bans for some athletes. Hodgkinson's new time moves the modern short-track 800m landscape forward and resets benchmarks for the indoor season.

What this means for the indoor season and upcoming championships

With just over a month to go until the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26, Hodgkinson's record run is likely to shape expectations and tactics for the championship field. Her rapid early-season progression — from a national record in Birmingham to the world mark in Liévin — creates a fresh measuring stick for competitors and coaches as they finalise preparations for the global indoor showpiece.

While the immediate focus is on recovery and consolidation after the Liévin effort, the clock and championship calendar will determine how Hodgkinson sequences the remainder of her indoor campaign. The performance has already shifted the narrative: she arrives at the indoor championships as a world-record holder and the athlete to beat in the 800m short track.

Key recent times

• Liévin, France — 800m: 1: 54. 87 (new indoor world record)
• UK Indoor Championships, Birmingham — 800m: 1: 56. 33 (new British indoor record, five days before Liévin)
• Previous world record — 800m: 1: 55. 82 (set 3 March 2002)

Details of Hodgkinson's recovery plan and her exact programme toward the world indoor championships will be revealed in the weeks ahead. For now, the 1: 54. 87 run in Liévin stands as the defining early-season performance and a benchmark that will influence the indoor 800m narrative for the coming month.