Keely Hodgkinson storms to World U20 800m Record in Vienna
The British conveyor belt of junior stars continues to impress with the latest sensation from18-year old Keely Hodgkinson who ran 1:59.03 in Vienna yesterday. A year after setting a European U20 indoor 800m mark in Vienna, Hodgkinson sliced chunks off with a world U20 indoor record of 1:59.03.
The performance also elevates Keely Hodgkinson (handicap -1.8) to 4th on the runbritain UK all-time indoor senior rankings behind Jemma Reekie (handicap -1.8), Jenny Meadows and Laura Muir (handicap -4.8) and ahead of the double Olympic champion Kelly Holmes and current senior rival Lynsey Sharp (handicap -0.1).
Leeds student, Hodgkinson, drafted the leaders through 200m in 27 seconds and hit halfway in 58 seconds. She surged over the final 150m to win by 3 seconds. In runner-up position, Nadia Power ran an Irish record of 2:02.44 .
Her next race is likely to be at the Manchester International Invitation on February 13thand expectations will be high to see if she can get close to Jemma Reekie’s senior record of 1:57.92 and the 1:58.43 best of Jenny Meadows, who along with her husband Trevor Painter, coaches her.
“It was all about not panicking when they all went off so fast but to be honest it could not have gone better so I’m really happy,” said Hodgkinson.
Also in Vienna secondary school teacher, Jamie Webb (handicap -4.8), won the men’s 800m in an indoor PB of 1:46.95 with a similarly commanding display.
Elliot Giles won at the World Indoor Tour in Karlsruhe, Germany as Dina Asher Smith also took the world lead over the explosive 60m sprint.
Elliot Giles (handicap -7.0) produced a professional performance as he won the men’s 800m contest in a world-leading time of 1:45.50. On the penultimate lap he contained the chasing pack then, with a little over 50m remaining, Giles eased into the lead and held on for a satisfying and commanding victory ahead of France’s Benjamin Robert who ran 1:46.3 and 2017 world champion Pierre-Ambroise Bosse, who ran 1:46.4.
Kenya’s world 3000m steeplechase champion Beatrice Chepkoech also set a world lead to win the women’s 3000m in 8:41.98 ahead of Britain’s European indoor bronze medallist Melissa Courtney-Bryant (handicap -3.0) with 8:42.41.
Andrew Butchart (handicap -6.7) improved his Scottish 3000m indoor record with 7:40.85 which strengthens his No.2 place on the UK indoor all-time list behind Mo Farah (handicap -7.0).
In Glasgow there were more great performances for British middle-distance athletes with Neil Gourley (handicap -5.9) and Guy Learmonth (handicap -6.5) making their 2021 debuts over 800m.
“A wee burn up over 800m in 1:47.2” was how Learmonth described his Glaswegian win on the boards ahead of Gourley.
UK runbritain rankings for endurance events and age groups
Other results from the weekend are on the following links: