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Keely Hodgkinson says this year’s London Diamond League could be a “battle of the world records” as she seeks to topple athletics’ longest-standing mark on home soil.<\/b><\/p>\n
The Olympic 800m champion will return to the London Stadium meet for the first time since her British-record run in the lead-up to her crowning moment at the Paris 2024 Games.<\/p>\n
After an injury-disrupted 2025, the 24-year-old says she has not missed a single session during the best winter training block of her career – as evidenced when she smashed the world indoor record in February.<\/a><\/p>\n In the sport’s first season for five years without a global outdoor championship to prioritise, Hodgkinson’s attention has turned to the 43-year world 800m record time of one minute 53.28 seconds, set by Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova in July 1983.<\/p>\n British team-mate Josh Kerr has already announced his intention to target the world mile record<\/a> – which has stood since 1999 – in London on Saturday, 18 July.<\/p>\n “Obviously I would love to have that happen on home soil,” said Hodgkinson, discussing where she would ideally set the record this summer.<\/p>\n “I get really excited about London and the crowd. As a British person, competing there is so much fun. <\/p>\n “It’s definitely the main thing I’m looking forward to on the calendar this year.<\/p>\n “It might be a battle of the world records. Who can get a better one?” she joked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n