Hodgkinson "Closest Ever!" Is World Record Next?! Fans Stunned!

Keely Hodgkinson, fresh off her world indoor record-breaking performance, has set her sights on the ultimate prize: Jarmila Kratochvilova's long-standing 800m outdoor world record. It's a record that has stood for over four decades, seemingly untouchable. But Hodgkinson, brimming with confidence after her recent triumph, believes she's "closer than ever" to making history.

Hodgkinson "Closest Ever!" Is World Record Next?! ...

That outdoor record, a blistering 1 minute 53.28 seconds, was set way back in July 1983, in Munich. To put that in perspective, that's before the internet really took off! Now, Hodgkinson, already an Olympic champion, is determined to not only surpass Kratochvilova but also cement her legacy as, in her words, "the greatest of all time." Lofty ambitions, sure, but with the talent she possesses, you can't rule it out.

"It's not an easy feat, and there's a reason it has stood for so long," Hodgkinson acknowledged in an interview with BBC Sport. "I think this is the closest I've felt near it. I do really believe that we can break it, but a lot of things have got to come together." And she's not wrong. Everything from the weather to the competition needs to align perfectly. But her recent form definitely suggests it's within reach.

Her electrifying 1:54.87 indoor run in France didn't just break a record; it obliterated one that had been in place since March 3, 2002 – the day she *herself* was born! Talk about a full-circle moment. Even her coach, Jenny Meadows, thinks she had more in the tank that day. "I've known for weeks I'm capable of breaking it. It's just a matter of getting out on the day," Hodgkinson said, radiating self-belief.

Of course, the road to this point hasn't been entirely smooth. The 23-year-old battled back from a hamstring tear shortly after winning Olympic gold in Paris in 2024, a setback that forced her to take a step back and reassess. "After winning the Olympics, it really wasn't what I thought was going to happen," she admitted. "It makes you stop and strip back everything and think, why is this happening? What are the problems? But, we got through it, I became a stronger person, and I think this is now the reward of all of that happening."

The record itself has a complicated history. Kratochvilova's time has long been subject to scrutiny, fueled by allegations of systematic doping within her country during that era, allegations she has always vehemently denied. However, the shadow remains. Hodgkinson's pursuit, therefore, is about more than just breaking a time; it's about achieving a clean, undeniable victory.

While the specific race where Hodgkinson will attempt to break the record remains a closely guarded secret, one thing is clear: she's ready. And with even Lord Coe, the president of World Athletics, predicting she'll achieve the feat this year, the pressure is on. But if anyone can handle it, it's Keely Hodgkinson. She's not just running for herself; she's running for history.