Hodgkinson eyes fifth European 800m title in Birmingham

Keely Hodgkinson returns to defend her European 800m title in Birmingham on Friday, aiming to silence critics who say her outdoor season has been "tricky" after a string of setbacks.

The 24-year-old Olympic champion has had a strong start to 2026, breaking the indoor 800m world record, winning her first world title and setting a new British outdoor record. But her dominance has been tested by a series of injuries and a shock defeat to Swiss teenager Audrey Werro in Stockholm, where Werro ran the fastest time since the outdoor world record was set 43 years ago. Hodgkinson also pulled out of the British Championships with a muscle twinge and finished second in Eugene with bandaged knees after a bad fall. Now, with Dutch hurdles convert Femke Broeders-Bol joining the race, the women’s 800m has become the headline event of the championships.

Hodgkinson insists she’s in a good place. "There was a tough patch in June and July, but I’m happy, I’m excited to compete," she said. She downplayed her loss to Werro, calling it a British record and her fastest time ever. "I’m proud of that," she said. "I just think it’s really good that Audrey has come on really well and Femke is running well. It’s going to be a really good race." After beating Broeders-Bol at the London Diamond League last month, Hodgkinson fine-tuned her preparations in Portugal and will hope to feed off the energy of a home crowd in Birmingham.

A medal of any colour in Birmingham would be her 12th international podium finish in six seasons. Gold would make it her fifth European title since 2021, a run of dominance she calls "really special." "Winning is very important to me this year because it’d be my fifth European title indoors and out," she said. "It’s really hard to stay that consistent." Werro leads the field with a personal best of 1:53.80, half a second ahead of Hodgkinson’s 1:54.33, while Broeders-Bol has clocked 1:55.60. The stage is set for a showdown that could redefine the women’s 800m for years to come.