Keely Hodgkinson Eyes 42-Year-Old World Record

Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson just broke a world record that stood since the day she was born, and now she's setting her sights even higher.

The 23-year-old British runner shattered the women's indoor 800m world record on Thursday, crossing the finish line in France at 1:54.87. The previous record had stood untouched since March 3, 2002, the exact day Hodgkinson came into the world.

But breaking that record was just the beginning. Hodgkinson now believes she can conquer what's considered the most untouchable mark in track and field: Jarmila Kratochvilova's outdoor 800m record of 1:53.28, set in Munich in July 1983.

"This is the closest I've felt near it," Hodgkinson told BBC Sport. "I do really believe that we can break it."

The journey to this moment wasn't easy. Just months after winning Olympic gold in Paris in 2024, Hodgkinson tore her hamstring and couldn't train. The injury forced her to strip everything back and rebuild from scratch.

"After winning the Olympics, it really wasn't what I thought was going to happen," she said. "But we got through it, I became a stronger person, and I think this is now the reward of all of that happening."

Her teammates started calling her "Keely 2.0" during her comeback, a nod to her ability to reinvent herself. Her coach even bought her a giant 40-kilogram Himalayan salt lamp to help calm her unpredictable moods during recovery. "I actually think it worked," she laughed.

Why This Inspires

What makes Hodgkinson's pursuit special isn't just the athletic achievement. It's watching someone turn setback into strength. She describes 2025 as "still my best year" despite the injuries, crediting her ability to maintain perspective beyond her career.

Her coach Jenny Meadows believes Hodgkinson's indoor time could have been a full second faster. With World Athletics president Lord Coe predicting she'll break the outdoor record this year, the entire track world is watching.

Hodgkinson hopes to make the attempt in London in front of her home crowd. "London is very special to me," she said. "I would love nothing more than to do something like that in front of a home crowd."

And she won't be alone on the track. Dutch superstar Femke Bol, a two-time 400m hurdles world champion, just announced she's moving up to compete in the 800m. The two are close friends who've grown up together in the sport.

"Femke is a very talented woman, but I also know what it takes to run the 800m at these times," Hodgkinson said warmly.

For now, Hodgkinson is focused on March's World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland, where she'll be the favorite for gold. But with her healthiest training season in years behind her, 2026 might just be the year a 42-year-old record finally falls.