Keely Hodgkinson, the Olympic 800m champion, is expanding her athletic repertoire by competing in the 400m event, though she cautions that the transition is proving challenging. At the Novuna UK Athletics Championships held in Birmingham, Hodgkinson finished second in her heat with a time of 51.62 seconds, securing a place in the final later the same day as one of the fastest non-winning qualifiers.

The 24-year-old expressed that she chose to focus on the 400m this time around as a personal challenge rather than opting for her usual 800m race. “It’s very different to the 800m. It’s not easier. I’m just learning how to piece it together,” Hodgkinson said, highlighting the complexities involved in adapting to the shorter distance.

Her move to the 400m is widely seen as a strategic effort to enhance her speed and overall strength ahead of her ambition to break Jarmila Kratochvilova’s longstanding outdoor women’s 800m world record of 1:53.28, set 43 years ago. Earlier this summer, Hodgkinson recorded a personal best of 51.14 seconds on her 400m Diamond League debut in Rome, indicating promising progress in the sprint event.

When discussing the differences between the two distances, Hodgkinson noted that the 400m requires a significantly faster pace and incorporates unique race tactics. She acknowledged that some athletes excel in shorter sprints like the 200m and 400m, but said she relies heavily on her strength in the final 150 meters of an 800m race, indicating the ongoing challenge of fine-tuning the right balance in the 400m.

Elsewhere at the championships, Amy Hunt claimed victory in the women’s 100m final, finishing ahead of Dina Asher-Smith with a time of 11.01 seconds. This outcome is expected to set the stage for future high-profile contests between the two sprinters at upcoming international meets such as the Commonwealth Games and European Championships.

In the men’s 100m final, a surprising result came as Jamaican-born Romell Glave stunned spectators by winning in 9.99 seconds, overtaking former World Championship medallist Zharnel Hughes. This upset adds further intrigue to the sprint events leading up to major global competitions.