Keely Hodgkinson’s return to racing delayed after injury setback

The Olympic 800m champion had been due to return to racing in Stockholm

Keely Hodgkinson is recovering from a hamstring issue (PA Archive)

Olympic 800 metres champion Keely Hodgkinson will not open her outdoor season on Sunday in Stockholm as planned due to a setback in her recovery from a hamstring issue.

The 23-year-old, who stormed to gold last summer at Paris 2024, was expected to line up against reigning world champion Mary Moraa in the Diamond League event.

Britons Jemma Reekie and Georgia Hunter Bell - the Olympic 1500 metres bronze medallist - are still set to challenge the Kenyan in Sweden.

Hodgkinson, who still hopes to unseat Moraa at September's world championships in Tokyo, was forced to pull out of her own inaugural Keely Klassic event in Birmingham after tearing her hamstring in February, also ending her indoor season.

At the time, she told Sky Sports News she expected recovery to take "up to six weeks, it could be quicker, it could be longer, but it shouldn't affect my outdoor season".

Hodgkinson, named Sports Personality of the Year in 2024, was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) following her Paris triumph, and at her investiture ceremony in May told the PA news agency: "Currently I feel really good, we're in a really good place.

"The hamstring progressed nicely and we took our time with it and we have had no problems so far, which has been really positive, back in full training, doing everything.

"We're kind of on track. I'm still four or five weeks away from opening my season but I'm looking forward to it and it's a big race, it's basically an Olympic final again."

Hodgkinson last month was announced as one of the biggest draws at the sold-out London Athletics Meet on 19 July.

PA