Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson is OUT for the Keely Klassic after picking up a hamstring injury in practice. She still attended the meet to greet fans and support the other British athletes.
She wrote on her Instagram page: “I am so gutted and disappointed to be announcing this, unfortunately after a great week of preparations for this weekend, yesterday I picked up a hamstring injury, which means I’ll have to sit this one out this weekend and not compete. I’m devastated to be missing the launch of the first @keelyklassic , me and my team worked so hard these last couple of months to put me in a perfect position to race, and I was so excited to perform in front of a home crowd !!
BUT… this event was never just about me. From the start, it was about bringing fresh energy to our sport, celebrating British talent, and connecting with the next generation of fans. And we look forward to still bringing that to life. I will still be there on Saturday and Still super excited to be supporting my teammates, seeing the crowd and watching an incredible day of athletics. I look forward to seeing some of you there and I hope you all enjoy it too ❤️🔥”
Jolanda Čeplak’s indoor 800m world record of 1:55.82 from 2002 survives.