Keely Hodgkinson breaks long-standing indoor 800m world record

keely hodgkinson smashed the long-standing women’s indoor 800m world record in Liévin, France, crossing the line in 1: 54. 87 — almost a full second quicker than the previous mark of 1: 55. 82 that had stood since March 3, 2002. The Olympic champion’s performance is a clear sign of form after recent setbacks and arrives ahead of planned indoor build-up races.

Keely Hodgkinson's record run

The 23-year-old crossed the line in 1: 54. 87, taking roughly 0. 95 seconds off the old standard. She was described in the immediate aftermath as visibly elated, telling the crowd, "Thank God! That was really fun, I was really looking forward to this, " before being presented with a ceremonial crown and taking a place beside the track. The run puts her on the sport’s all-time list ahead of several longstanding names and makes her one of the few British athletes to hold a world record in a championship event.

Race details and splits

A pacemaking plan had Poland's Anna Gryc asked to set a halfway target of 55. 8 seconds; Hodgkinson reached 400m in 55. 56 and then moved off the front, maintaining the pace required to track the record's green wavelights on the inside of the track. She started the season with a 1: 56. 33 clocking in Birmingham five days before Liévin and had said prior to the weekend that the Lievin race was not just about the record "but seeing how fast we can really go. " Also on the start line were Ethiopia's Olympic silver medallist Tsige Duguma and Switzerland's Audrey Werro, both part of a competitive field that Hodgkinson said she welcomed as push factors for fast times.

Context, setbacks and comeback

Hodgkinson’s aim on this record had been in place for some time: she had targeted the mark at an earlier event branded with her own name but that plan was disrupted by two serious hamstring injuries the following season. During rehabilitation she made notable gains in strength and power and was nicknamed "Keely 2. 0" within her M11 training group. She had previously set a rarely contested 600m record in an indoor season three years earlier. The long-running nature of the old world record had been complicated by later doping bans affecting athletes who once ranked ahead of the mark, a point that the record-breaking run now settles on the track.

What comes next for Hodgkinson

Following Liévin, Hodgkinson is scheduled to race a 400m in Glasgow on March 1 (ET) as part of her build-up to the World Indoor Championships in Poland. The 1: 54. 87 run gives clear, observable momentum: she has moved from a 1: 56. 33 performance earlier in the same week to a world record, and the known upcoming races will be immediate tests of consistency and recovery. If she remains free of further hamstring trouble, the timetable and performances set a pathway for her to target a first world indoor title at the championships.

Key takeaways

• Hodgkinson ran 1: 54. 87 in Liévin, taking nearly a full second off the previous indoor 800m world record of 1: 55. 82.
• She reached 400m in 55. 56 on a race paced for a 55. 8 halfway split and then extended her lead to the finish.
• Planned next races include a 400m in Glasgow on March 1 (ET) and the World Indoor Championships in Poland.