Toruń: Keely Hodgkinson delivered a dominant performance to claim the women’s 800m gold at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26 on Sunday, smashing the championship record in the process.
The Olympic champion controlled the race from the front and powered to victory in 1:55.30 — the second-fastest indoor time in history and just shy of her own world indoor mark of 1:54.87 set last month. The win secured Hodgkinson’s first world title and highlighted her authority over the two-lap event.
Hodgkinson took charge early, passing 200m in 27.26 seconds before reaching halfway in 56.96. Nigist Getachew attempted to stay in touch but faded as the pace intensified. By 600m, Hodgkinson still held command, with challengers closing behind but unable to reel her in.
The Briton surged over the final lap to seal gold, while Audrey Werro finished strongly for silver in 1:56.64, moving to fifth on the world all-time indoor list. Addison Wiley claimed bronze with a personal best of 1:58.36.
“I’ve been in so many finals and had not won,” Hodgkinson said after the race. “To finally get my first world title and prove I can handle the pressure is really special.”
The victory capped a remarkable session for Britain, with Hodgkinson later returning to clock a rapid split in the women’s 4x400m relay, underlining her impressive endurance on a memorable night.
Source: World Athletics
Discussion about this post