Keely Hodgkinson Withdraws From UK 400m Final After Twinge at Birmingham Alexander Stadium

Keely Hodgkinson, the Olympic 800m champion, pulled out of the 400m final at the UK Athletics Championships moments before Sunday’s race after feeling “a little twinge.”

“- Published A tearful Keely Hodgkinson pulled out of the 400m final at the UK Athletics Championships moments before Sunday's race after feeling "a little twinge"”

BBC

The BBC said the 24-year-old warmed up for the final in Birmingham but stepped out of her lane shortly before the finalists were put under starters’ orders at the Alexander Stadium.

BBC

Hodgkinson then made her way back inside the Alexander Stadium after being emotional as she stood at the side of the track.

She said she “wasn't feeling 100%” and that she “didn't want to risk anything this summer,” adding “Leaving [the] champs healthy.”

Sky Sports News reported her coach Trevor Painter told them “all is fine, bit of tightness and decided not to risk it” after Hodgkinson withdrew as a precaution.

Hodgkinson’s statement and social media message framed the withdrawal as health-first, with the BBC recording her line “Sometimes the hard decision is saying no. Exciting summer ahead.”

Wales Online described her as “in tears” as she walked off the track seconds before being due to race, after she took her position in lane nine and then looked upset as officials gathered around her.

DHnet

The Guardian reported that her camp moved swiftly to play down concerns after she withdrew from the 400m start line in tears just seconds before she was due to race in Birmingham.

The Guardian also quoted Hodgkinson’s own explanation that “I wasn’t feeling 100% standing on the start line, so I made the tough decision to step away and not race.”

In the same Birmingham championships, the BBC said Georgia Hunter Bell led throughout to win the 800m title in one minute 55.93 seconds, breaking a championship record set by Kelly Holmes in 1995.

Hodgkinson’s withdrawal was tied to a longer plan for the summer, with the BBC saying her main aim was to challenge for the 800m world record this summer and that the London Diamond League meeting was four weeks away.

“A highly successful return for Keely Hodgkinson”

L'Équipe

The BBC also noted the 800m world record had stood for 43 years, and it placed Hodgkinson’s next major target at the London Diamond League as she sought a record that has stood for decades.

Sky Sports said she is due to challenge for the 800m world record this summer after breaking the indoor world record with a time of 1:54.87 in France earlier this year.

The BBC reported that Amber Anning earned a reprieve after a false start in the 400m but Hodgkinson’s absence meant Anning retained her title, winning in 50.16 seconds.

Looking ahead, The Guardian said Hodgkinson was next due to race over 800m at the Eugene Diamond League in Oregon on 4 July, before a potential tilt at the world record on home soil at the London Diamond League on 18 July.