Hodgkinson targets third European 800m gold in Birmingham

Keely Hodgkinson is set to headline the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, aiming to become the first British woman to win three consecutive gold medals in the same individual event at the continental championships. The 24-year-old Olympic champion will compete in the women's 800 metres, a race she has described as potentially the "race of the championships," against a formidable field including Swiss star Audrey Werro and Dutch athlete Femke BroedersBol.

The championships, which begin on Monday, mark the first time the biennial event has been hosted in the United Kingdom. Hodgkinson, who won European gold in Munich in 2022 and Rome in 2024, said securing a third title on home soil would be a career highlight. "It would mean as much to me, almost, as winning in Paris," she stated, referring to her Olympic victory in 2024. "Hopefully I'll be able to stand on top of the podium and have a national anthem in the UK. That would be incredibly special."

Hodgkinson enters the competition in a different position than in recent years. While she broke the world indoor record in March, her outdoor season has been disrupted. She suffered a freak training injury in late June,...