Why is Keely Hodgkinson not running in the Diamond League final?

TEAM GB hero Keely Hodgkinson will NOT be competing in the Diamond League final this weekend. The 24-year-old was all set to run in the women’s 800m in Brussels, where she would go head-to-head with Swiss rival Audrey Werro. Keely Hodgkinson will not compete in the Diamond League final in Brussels Credit: Getty She was set to battle against Audrey Werro but misses out on the event Credit: Getty Hodgkinson became a household name among Brits after earning an Olympic gold medal in Paris 2024. And fans would’ve been excited to see her battle against Werro, who has established herself as the fastest woman in the world this year. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! It would’ve marked the first time the pair met on the track since the Swiss middle-distance star raced to victory in the 800m final at the European Athletics Championships. In Birmingham, the Brit could not cope with the extra gear of Werro, who ran 1:54.81, smashing the Championship record of 1:55.41 that had stood since 1982. The 2024 BBC Sports Personality of the Year winner won’t get her revenge as she isn’t set to race in Brussels, but why is she missing out? Audrey Werro broke a 44-year record to beat Hodgkinson and win gold at the European Athletics Championships Credit: Alamy Hodgkinson won silver, finishing behind Werro by a close 0.2 seconds Why is Keely Hodgkinson not running in the Diamond League final? Hodgkinson has not put on her running spikes to appear on the track since winning silver on August 14 at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. And the reigning 800-metres Olympic champion is set to miss out on the women’s two-lap field in Brussels as she continues to recover from a slight hamstring issue. This upsetting injury update was given out just a matter of days after the two-time European champion announced she wouldn’t be running in Thursday’s Diamond League meeting in Zurich. Most read in Sport The Team GB favourite will now have to work hard in order to be fit enough to compete in the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Hungary. Hodgkinson has a slight hamstring issue and hopes to recover in time for Budapest Credit: Reuters Hodgkinson said her ‘body isn’t quite ready to race again’ after the European Championships Credit: Reuters It’s all set up to be an almighty season-ending battle in Budapest, with the new three-day event paying out £110,000 for all event winners. On Monday, August 24, upon missing out on the 800-metre event in Switzerland, she said: “Unfortunately, the body isn’t quite ready to race again after the European Championships. “We’ve made the decision to skip this race and get ready for the next one. “Sad to miss it, hopefully see you next year.” Evidently, her injury will also see her miss the race in Brussels on Saturday, September 4, but all eyes will now be on whether or not the 24-year-old can recover in time for the new Ultimate Championships which start on September 11. Comment now