Olympic champion assured of beating Jolanda Ceplak’s 1:55.82 from 2002 in Lievin on Thursday and “welcomes competitors” from Audrey Werro and Tsige Duguma.
Twenty-four hours earlier than taking to the monitor at Lievin to assault the world indoor 800m report, Keely Hodgkinson appeared relaxed and assured on the pre-event press convention. With Jolanda Ceplak’s 2002 mark of 1:55.82 as her goal, she mentioned: “I feel it’s mine to take so I’m trying ahead to giving it a go.”
Hodgkinson is contemporary from setting a British report of 1:56.33 in Birmingham on Saturday. “It was good to have a run out earlier than this week as I’ve not raced indoors for 3 years,” she mentioned. “I didn’t imply to go that quick which most likely exhibits I’m in a very good place.”
In Lievin on Thursday night she’s going to face, amongst others, Audrey Werro of Switzerland and Tsigie Duguma of Ethiopia. Werro held the 2026 world lead till final weekend whereas Duguma received the world indoor title in 2024 and was runner-up to Hodgkinson on the Paris Olympics.
“I’ll do what I do and focus by myself race,” mentioned Hodgkinson, including with a smile that she did not wish to give her race technique away. “I’m positive all of them have their very own plans too.
“I feel it will likely be a enjoyable and thrilling race and I’m completely satisfied to have these women in it as we will push one another and that’s if you get actually aggressive races and quick instances.
“I welcome the competitors.”
Jarmila Kratochvila’s long-standing outside world report of 1:53.28 continues to hang-out Hodgkinson as properly and the Czech athlete’s 1983 efficiency is perhaps within the Briton’s thoughts when she takes to the Lievin monitor.
“Once I line up I at all times attempt to run as quick as doable and I’m positively within the form to run a quick time,” she mentioned. “I additionally suppose it’s not simply in regards to the world (indoor) report however seeing how briskly we will actually go, particularly right now of 12 months and on an indoor monitor.”
Hodgkinson additionally believes the brand new begin within the 800m indoors, the place athletes break for the within lane later than they did beforehand may even swimsuit her relating to operating as quick as doable. She explains: “The brand new begin is certainly quicker than the previous one and I actually like that. It offers us extra time to not being on high of one another. We’ve 150m in lanes as a substitute of 100m and I don’t know why we didn’t do it sooner to be sincere.”
MORE: Kratochvilova’s immortal world report
What would breaking a world report imply to her? “I feel it might be simply good to have one. And it’s a marker that’s achievable. It was additionally set on the day I used to be born which is a bit bizarre however I like that stat and I feel it’s mine to take so I’m trying ahead to giving it a go.”
She added: “There are not any limits actually and I’m studying this yearly as I get stronger. These 1:54s and 1:55s have gotten extra common and the usual is getting larger and better and I can positively see some nice issues sooner or later and hopefully I’ve nonetheless bought one other 10 years in me.”
READ MORE: Keely takes intention at Ceplak’s 800m report
Following Lievin, Hodgkinson will race over 400m in Glasgow on March 1 within the build-up to the World Indoor Championships in Poland. “It is going to be good as I’ve not performed one for 2 years,” she says.
Then, on the World Indoors itself, she provides: “I’ve by no means really performed a World Indoor Champs regardless of making an attempt 3 times to make it there. I hope to select up my first world title so as to add to my assortment and sit up for doing it in Europe.”
