Keely Hodgkinson breaks women's indoor 800m world record in 1:54.87

Keely Hodgkinson breaks 24-year-old world record

British athlete Keely Hodgkinson has broken the women's indoor 800m world record. She ran a time of one minute 54.87 seconds at a meet in Liévin, France.

The record of 1:55.82 was set by Slovenia's Jolanda Čeplak on March 3rd, 2002—the day Hodgkinson was born. Hodgkinson's time shaved nearly a full second off the previous mark.

A record long in the making

Hodgkinson had targeted this record for over a year. A planned attempt at her own "Keely Klassic" event in February 2023 was derailed by a serious hamstring injury.

She signaled her intent just five days before the record run. At the UK Indoor Championships, she broke her own national record with a time of 1:56.33.

"I feel like it is my record to break," Hodgkinson said before the race in Liévin. The track there is known for being exceptionally fast.

Overcoming injury and controversy

The record Hodgkinson broke had been controversial. Both Čeplak and the runner-up from that 2002 race, Austria's Stephanie Graf, later served two-year doping bans.

Hodgkinson's own path was hampered by two significant hamstring tears in 2025. Her recovery involved intense gym work, leading her training group to nickname her "Keely 2.0" for her improved strength.

Despite a 376-day wait to race after winning Olympic gold, she still made the world championship podium in September. She now credits an "uninterrupted" and "healthy" winter training block for her current form.

What the record means for Hodgkinson's career

This achievement places Hodgkinson in rare company. She and triple jumper Jonathan Edwards are now the only British athletes to hold a current world record in a championship event.

Her coaches, Jenny Meadows and Trevor Painter, had indicated that breaking the indoor record was a key step. The ultimate goal is the outdoor world record of 1:53.28, set by Jarmila Kratochvílová in 1983.

Hodgkinson has major targets ahead in 2025, including:

• The World Indoor Championships in Poland
• The European Championships
• The Commonwealth Games

Reaction to a dominant performance

After crossing the line, Hodgkinson was presented with a golden crown and a throne beside the track. "Thank god. That was really fun, I was really looking forward to this," she told the crowd.

In the race itself, a pacemaker ensured a fast start. Hodgkinson went through the first 400m in 55.56 seconds, ahead of the target pace, and powered away from the field.

"She's absolutely obliterated that world record," said former British 400m athlete Allison Curbishley on BBC Radio 5 Live. "What better way to head on to the world indoors."

The record confirms Hodgkinson's status as the dominant force in women's middle-distance running. It marks a powerful comeback after an injury-plagued start to her Olympic title defense and sets the stage for a historic 2025 season.