LONDON, United Kingdom, Aug 19 – Keely Hodgkinson has set her sights on breaking the 800m women’s world record which has stood for more than four decades.
The 22-year-old won gold over the distance at the Olympic Games in Paris and has now targeted one of the oldest track world records.
Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova ran a record 800m time of one minute 53.28 seconds at Munich’s Olympic Stadium in July 1983.
Hodgkinson’s winning time in Paris was 1:56.72, but her confidence has soared since clocking 1:54.61 in London in July.
Speaking at a special ‘Team GB’s Homecoming’ event at Manchester’s AO Arena, Hodgkinson said: “It’s definitely something I’ve thought about since I raced in London.
“I think that record has stood for so long. It’s been a long time since anyone has hit [one minute] 53 seconds, so I’d love to do that. I think I can. I now believe I can do that.”
