Athletics-Britain’s Hodgkinson closes 2025 inspired to pursue 800m record

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By Amy Tennery

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Britain’s 800 metres Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson said she had renewed inspiration to one day tackle track’s longest-standing world record as she closes out an injury-curtailed 2025 season in New York.

Many have eyed the 800m record of 1:53.28 set by Czech Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983 but it has been stubbornly out of reach, with Hodgkinson the sixth-fastest woman at the distance.

“It’s going to take an incredible day, everything to go right. We just got to believe and we believe it’s there and everyone’s getting faster, the technology is helping us get faster,” said the 800m bronze medallist at last month’s worlds.

“Just, why not? We’ll give it a go one day,” added the 23-year-old Briton, whose personal best is 1:54.61.

Hodgkinson, who will compete on Friday in the women’s-only Athlos meet in New York, pointed to 1500m world record-holder and three-times Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon as a source of inspiration.

The Kenyan unsuccessfully attempted to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes, having already claimed the mile record.

“All it takes is one person to even think it’s possible,” she said. “I had never even thought about a woman going sub-four for the mile … now it even seems more possible”

The Athlos track meet in New York City will mark Hodgkinson’s sixth race this year, after she missed nearly the entire calendar – including her eponymous, inaugural “Keely Klassic” indoor meet – due to injury.

“I’m looking forward to getting back out there again,” she told reporters. “It’s nice to just end it (the season) here.”

(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Ken Ferris)