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Keely Hodgkinson Pulls Out of UK 400m Final

She said a late twinge left her not fully fit and her team chose caution to protect her summer plan to target the 800m world record.

Overview

  • Hodgkinson stepped away from the 400m start line at the UK Athletics Championships after feeling a small twinge in her final warm-up strides and said she did not feel 100 percent.
  • Her coach, Jenny Meadows, described the decision as precautionary and aimed at avoiding any injury that could jeopardise her summer programme.
  • The withdrawal came during a season in which Hodgkinson has used 400m races to sharpen her first-lap speed as part of a campaign to challenge Jarmila Kratochvilova’s 800m world record.
  • She remains scheduled to race at the Prefontaine Classic on 4 July and the London Diamond League on 18 July, where she plans to pursue the 800m record.
  • The UK meeting continued without her as Amber Anning won the 400m in 50.16 and Georgia Hunter Bell defended and lowered the 800m championship record to 1:55.93, underlining strong domestic competition Hodgkinson faces.