Olympic 800m champion sets her sights on breaking Jolanda Čeplak’s long-standing mark of 1:55.82 in Birmingham in the new year
Fresh from winning the BBC sports personality of 2024 prize, Keely Hodgkinson says she will try to break the world indoor 800m record in Birmingham on Saturday February 15.
The meeting has been named the “Keely Klassic” but as a World Athletics Indoor Tour Bronze meeting it will feature a range of other events.
The 22-year-old’s target is Jolanda Čeplak’s 1:55.82, which was set on March 3 in 2002, which is coincidentally the day Hodgkinson was born. Like Jarmila Kratochvilova’s outdoor world record of 1:53.28 from 1983, Ceplak’s indoor record is also controversial as the Slovenian athlete served a doping ban from 2007-2009.
Racing at the European Indoor Championships in Vienna, Čeplak narrowly beat the home favourite Stephanie Graf, with the Austrian finishing three hundredths of a second behind Čeplak. The Slovenian led from the start, passing 200m in 28.34, 400m in 57.34 and 600m in 86.68. Graf, who also served a doping ban later in her career, took the lead with 150m to go but Čeplak responded with a final 200m of 29.14 to take the win in the closing metres.
Jolanda Čeplak (left) and Stephanie Graf (Getty)
Čeplak went on to win European outdoor gold later that year in Munich before winning bronze behind Kelly Holmes in the Olympic 800m in Athens in 2004.
“I’m beyond excited to announce the Keely Klassic, my first track race since becoming Olympic champion,” said Hodgkinson. “This event is all about bringing energy, passion, and top-tier athletics to the fans. It will be an unforgettable experience for everyone involved, with some of the UK’s best athletes competing, and a special focus on the 800m.
“I’m also thrilled to attempt to break the world record – this is an opportunity for me to take my career to the next level while giving back to the sport that has given me so much.”
READ MORE: Keely Hodgkinson crowned BBC SPOTY winner
Hodgkinson, whose best times are 1:54.61 outdoors and 1:57.18 indoors, added: “We want to make this event an experience like no other – for athletes and fans alike. We’re creating an atmosphere that fuses the intensity of world-class sport with the energy and excitement of live entertainment.
READ MORE: Keely’s route to success in 2024
“I can’t wait to be part of this new chapter and I’m excited for fans to witness history in the making.”
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