Defiant Hodgkinson says home European title would mean as much as Olympic gold
Keely Hodgkinson will seek to prove she is still number one following a "tricky" outdoor season when she faces world-class rivals for European 800m gold in Birmingham.
Coverage by Political Leaning
See how different sides of the spectrum reported this story
Notable Quotes
"'I feel in a good place, obviously there was a tough patch in June and July, but I'm happy, I'm excited to compete and I just think it'll bring out the best of me.'"
— Keely Hodgkinson , Athlete
"'I think people [are] trying to make me feel like it was a failure and it really wasn't.'"
— Keely Hodgkinson , Athlete
"'It's going to be a really good race. Let's see what happens.'"
— Keely Hodgkinson , Athlete
"'It's really special. Winning is very important to me this year because it'd be my fifth European title indoors and out, and that is five years of work.'"
— Keely Hodgkinson , Athlete
"'Ultimately I'll just focus on what I can do best and control my race.'"
— Keely Hodgkinson , Athlete
Key People
Audrey Werro is a Swiss athlete and European Under-23 champion.
Femke Broeders-Bol is a Dutch athlete who excels in middle-distance running.
Jenny Meadows is a former international runner and current coach known for her expertise in middle-distance running.
Keely Hodgkinson is a British middle-distance runner who recently broke the women's indoor 800m world record.
Lilian Odira is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who competes in the 800 meters.
Trevor Painter is one of Keely Hodgkinson's coaches.
All Coverage
Keely Hodgkinson will seek to prove she is still number one following a "tricky" outdoor season when she faces world-class rivals for European 800m gold in Birmingham.
Similar Stories
Related coverage based on topic and tags
Fresh rivals & forced to settle for silver - but Hodgkinson up for fight
Keely Hodgkinson says she is proud of her ability to "continue to fight" after taking silver behind Audrey Werro at the European Athletics Championships.
August 15, 2026 at 06:32 AMHodgkinson beaten to European gold by rival Werro
Keely Hodgkinson is forced to settle for European silver as Switzerland's Audrey Werro denies the Briton a third consecutive title in a thrilling 800m final.
August 14, 2026 at 10:14 PMHodgkinson into 800m final after dramatic Werro fall
Keely Hodgkinson reaches the women's 800m final at the European Championships - moments after rival Audrey Werro suffers a dramatic fall that put her place in doubt.
August 13, 2026 at 12:39 PMHodgkinson leads home Broeders-Bol to qualify for 800m final
Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson wins her 800m semi-final leading home Femke Broeders-Bol of the Netherlands.
August 13, 2026 at 11:48 AMO'Connor secures European gold in heptathlon
Kate O'Connor secures gold in the heptathlon at the European Championships in Birmingham.
August 15, 2026 at 07:00 PMHodgkinson motivated for next race with Werro after 800m silver
Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson says she has mixed emotions after settling for silver in the 800m final and says she is looks forward to her next race with Audrey Werro.
August 14, 2026 at 09:15 PM