Keely Hodgkinson Shatters 800m Indoor World Record

Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson has rewritten the history books, smashing the long-standing women’s indoor 800m world record with a stunning time of 1:54.87 at the Meeting Hauts-de-France in Liévin, France, on February 19, 2026. The previous record of 1:55.82, set by Slovenia’s Jolanda Ceplak, had stood since March 3, 2002 – the very day Hodgkinson was born .

A Moment Years in the Making

Hodgkinson’s achievement was the culmination of years of dedicated preparation and unwavering belief, according to her coach, Jenny Meadows . Meadows revealed that Hodgkinson herself predicted the record-breaking performance the day before the event, stating, “obviously I know I’m going to get it.” The team had meticulously measured benchmarks in training, leaving them confident in Hodgkinson’s ability.

Overcoming Adversity

The 23-year-old’s path to this moment wasn’t without obstacles. Following her Olympic 800m title win at the Paris 2024 Games, Hodgkinson faced injury setbacks, including a torn hamstring, which disrupted her training and challenged her both physically and mentally . Yet, she persevered, emerging stronger and earning the nickname ‘Keely 2.0’ from her training group, the M11 Track Club.

The Race to History

The Lievin track has a reputation for fast times, having hosted numerous world records over the years . Hodgkinson started alongside Olympic silver medalist Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia and Switzerland’s Audrey Werro, with Poland’s Anna Gryc tasked with setting a pace of 55.8 seconds through the first 400m. Hodgkinson exceeded expectations with a first 400m split of 55.56 seconds, then surged ahead and maintained her lead, never appearing in danger of missing the record pace .

A Growing Legacy

Hodgkinson already held the indoor 600m world record of 1:23.41 . With this latest achievement, she joins triple jumper Jonathan Edwards as the only British athletes to currently hold a world record in a championship event.

“Thank God! That was really fun, I was really looking forward to this,” Hodgkinson told the crowd, before being crowned with a golden crown .

Looking Ahead

Hodgkinson expressed her ambition to push the boundaries even further, stating that this record is “hopefully just the beginning,” provided she remains healthy . She initially aimed for the 800m record at the Keely Klassic in Birmingham in February 2025, but injuries forced a change of plans.