Keely Hodgkinson smashes women's indoor 800m world record in Liévin

Emerson Raymont

Published: February 20, 2026 5:51 AM ET

Keely Hodgkinson smashes women's indoor 800m world record in Liévin

keely hodgkinson obliterated the women's indoor 800m world record in Liévin, France, crossing the line in 1: 54. 87 to better the 1: 55. 82 mark set on 3 March 2002 — the same day she was born. The 23-year-old Olympic champion shaved nearly a full second off the long-standing record and said the achievement capped weeks of focused preparation.

Keely Hodgkinson's record run in Liévin

Hodgkinson opened the race behind a designated pacemaker and moved through 400m in 55. 56 seconds before striking out on her own. She passed 600m in 1: 25. 06 and held enough speed to stop the clock at 1: 54. 87, beating the previous best of 1: 55. 82. The field included Ethiopia's Olympic silver medallist Tsige Duguma and Switzerland's Audrey Werro, with Hodgkinson taking the victory and the new short-track world best.

Race mechanics and the finishing moments

The event in Liévin used wavelights calibrated to split targets, with marks set at 55. 8 seconds for 400m and 1: 53. 80 overall. Anna Gryc of Poland led through 200m in 26. 47 seconds before Hodgkinson pressed on. She clapped after crossing the line, accepted congratulations from rivals and coaches, and celebrated trackside as the crowd reacted to the 1: 54. 87 finish.

Recovery, reaction and the next target

Having battled hamstring and back issues earlier in the season — including a hamstring tweak on the eve of the Keely Klassic in Birmingham and further problems after an eight-hour round trip to Windsor Castle to collect an MBE — Hodgkinson said the result felt like reward for perseverance. "Thank God! That was really fun, " she said after the race, adding that it almost felt strange the previous record was set on the day she was born and that she still thinks there is "more to push. "

The new world-record mark adds to a CV that already features Olympic gold from Paris 2024 and an Olympic silver from Tokyo. With the indoor season underway and this performance in Liévin recorded at 1: 54. 87, Hodgkinson will now turn her focus to the world indoor championships in Torun, Poland next month.