Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson has withdrawn from Sunday’s Stockholm Diamond League meeting after experiencing a setback in her recovery from a hamstring injury.
The 23-year-old, who famously stormed to gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a sensational 1:56.72 performance, has endured a frustrating spell on the sidelines.
Her troubles began in February when she was forced to pull out of the inaugural Keely Klassic, an event she founded, following a hamstring tear that also cut short her indoor season.
Hodgkinson had been scheduled to make her much-anticipated 2025 debut in Sweden this weekend, where she was expected to line up against Olympic podium finishers Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia and Kenya’s Mary Moraa.
The showdown was billed as one of the highlights of the meet, promising an early-season glimpse into the middle-distance pecking order ahead of the World Championships in Tokyo this September.
However, BBC Sport reports that Hodgkinson’s comeback has been delayed once again as she continues to manage her recovery. While no official timeline for her return has been confirmed, the British star remains hopeful of being fit in time for the global championships in Japan.
The setback opens another frustrating chapter for one of Britain’s brightest track talents, who recently received an MBE for her services to athletics. Fans will now have to wait a little longer to see the Olympic champion back on track.
