Keely Hodgkinson has disclosed that her ambition to challenge the 800m world record this season was derailed by a bizarre accident during a routine training run. The 24-year-old athlete, who is set to compete at Friday’s Athlos meeting in London, revealed that she tripped on a metal grill while jogging along a canal in July. The sudden impact, which her support team compared to a whiplash injury, left her with bloody knees, a jarred back, and inhibited her ability to use her quadriceps effectively.
Reflecting on her performance, Hodgkinson admitted that the fall had a more significant physical impact than she initially anticipated. She explained that this recovery period likely contributed to the hamstring tear she later suffered during the European Championships final in August. Despite feeling a twinge ten minutes before that race, she managed to compete, aided by a unique anatomical trait: she has split tendons in her hamstring where most people have only one.
“My body’s quite literally built different,” the athlete said. “Where everyone has one tendon, mine split, so I have two. When one tore, I still had another one, which meant I didn’t feel the injury until it tightened up later.” Although this biological quirk allowed her to keep training without missing sessions over the last three weeks, she has had to adjust her training regimen to accommodate the weaker, injured component.
Hodgkinson drew parallels between her canal incident and the experience of Steve Ovett, who famously suffered a severe knee injury after tripping through metal railings in 1981, which subsequently hampered his following season. Despite the setbacks, Hodgkinson remains optimistic, noting that the ability to perform under suboptimal conditions has bolstered her confidence for the future. “I know that I can do this, regardless of if stuff goes right or wrong, and I can still perform with the best in the world,” she stated.
Her 2026 season has nonetheless been highly successful, highlighted by an indoor world record in February, a world indoor title in March, and a personal best outdoors in June. While acknowledging that she could not fulfill every goal she set for herself this year, the Olympic champion remains focused on her progression at age 24.
At the upcoming all-female Athlos event, Hodgkinson will feature alongside prominent stars including Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson. The meeting promises a novel atmosphere, with acting president Kayla Green noting the inclusion of a red carpet, celebrity guests, and live music provided by DJ Trauma. Green expects that beyond the unique production, fans will recognize the exceptional level of competition and athleticism displayed on the track. The report also notes that “In the Europeans I was in the best shape ever, but sometimes it doesn’t always translate,” she said. “When I fell over, that kind of messed me up way more than I thought it did. The report also notes that because I couldn’t really use my quad for a while.”, and I think that’s what’s contributed to my hamstring. The report also notes that having felt a twinge 10 minutes before the race, hodgkinson also revealed that she suffered a tear in her hamstring during the European Championships final. The report also notes that “We’re trying to figure out if it’s a strength or a weakness. The report also notes that “Obviously I would have loved to tick every goal that I wanted to do this year, but I’m 24,” said Hodgkinson. The report also notes that despite having done little speed work, Hodgkinson replied that she wanted to prove to herself she could compete in far from ideal circumstances, asked why she had decided to run at the Ultimate Championships in Budapest and at Athlos.
