London produces an epic Women’s 800 meters!

London produces an epic women’s 800m

The London Diamond League will be remembered for Josh Kerr’s magnificent world mile record. Under different circumstances, we could have been celebrating 2 world records. When Keely Hodgkinson broke the existing world indoor record earlier this year, running 1:54.87, she let it be known that she was keen to attack the existing outdoor world record, 1:53.28, set by Jarmila Kratochvílová of Czechoslovakia in 1983 in Munich. Earlier this year she told the British media that it would happen when she was ready, but if it happened in London, that would be special. Unfortunately, a training fall put her knee and the world record attempt on ice. “I literally fell over. It’s one of those uncontrollable things that happen and it was just a shame. I was more good because I had to fly out to America the next day and it was really painful. I hobbled my way to Accident and Emergency at the local hospital”.

Still, winning a Diamond League race in London, in front of 59,000 people, is not to be sneezed at. Keely’s time was 1:56.21, and she commented afterward: “There are mixed emotions today. I am going to take the positives because it has been a tough couple of weeks. Not everything always goes to plan, but I am proud of how I have dealt with it. The only reason I came here today is that I wanted to race in front of a home crowd. I am happy to get that out of the way and focus on the Europeans next. Life is sometimes tough, and it doesn’t always go the way you want it to. I dream big, but I am living in the present”.

Keely has a new rival in the 800 this year, Femke Broeders-Bol, who has switched from 400 hurdles to 800. Having not run an 800m since 2017, Bol has run 4 this year, the slowest being 1:57.41 and the fastest 1:54.33 in Stockholm. In Paris two weeks ago she ran 1:55.60 for second place behind Audrey Werro and then 1:56.46 in London for second behind Keely.

In Paris she told me: “It’s a big mind change to switch from 400m hurdles to 800m, and it means a lot of changes in the training, and in the way of racing with everybody in the same lane. In terms of pressure, it’s pretty similar. I always put pressure on myself; it helps me to perform, and I like that. To discover this new distance, you need to be open-minded. It’s fun; I pretty much feel like a junior. I was very excited for my first race in the Diamond League in the 800. Running in a pack – not in one lane – is something new for me. I have to be smart during the race with what I am capable of doing in a race where Audrey will chase the world record, to not make a mess of my race.”

Of the London race she said: “I had a small training block after coming from Paris with a lot of confidence. I am still learning the 800m, but I am starting to feel what an 800 is like and how I need to divide it up. But today was a different race with a lot of moving around through the first lap. The hardest thing for me is the positioning and how you find the right spot. I learn best by racing. I have to get used to being close to people during races”.

Asked about Femka’s potential at 800, Keely said: “Femka is an incredible athlete. I’m not surprised that she’s had this trajectory. She’s Femke Bol. She is a world champion. She’s been doing this a long time. She looks like she’s having fun, which I think is good. And she’s trying a new event, and it makes sense for her. And I just look forward to us pushing each other. We’re really great friends off the track as well.  She’s built like a gazelle. She just runs. And I think she’s been in some really good races and some really fast races, you know, Audrey in Ostrava, Audrey again in Paris. So when you’re in races like that, like the whole field went fast in Paris, there were a lot of 1:55s and 56s. So yeah, I’m happy for her. I think she’s just having fun, like I said before, and I look forward to seeing what that is”.

The European Championship next month in Birmingham, Broeders-Bol v Hodgkinson v Werro, could be quite a race.  I already have got my seat reserved.