Athletics

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Last Updated: 21/06/26 5:40pm

Keely Hodgkinson was in tears after pulling out of the 400m final at the UK Athletics Championships moments before the race began.

The Olympic 800m finalist withdrew from the event after warming up, raising questions about her ability to compete in the London Diamond League meet in four weeks, and was visibly emotional after stepping away from her lane.

Hodgkinson had been targeting the 800m outdoor world record after breaking the indoor world record with a time of 1:54.87 in France earlier this year.

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Sources inside the 24-year-old’s camp insisted Hodgkinson was not injured but felt tightness and the withdrawal was precautionary, echoing the announcement over the stadium tannoy.

Hodgkinson said: “I wasn’t feeling 100 per cent standing on the start line, so I made the tough decision to step away and not race.

“I didn’t want to risk anything this summer.”

More to follow…

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