Keely Hodgkinson breezed through the opening round of the 800m at the European championships with her fastest time in a heat – before laughing about why she had worn sunglasses for the first time in a race.
“It’s sunny out there,” she joked. “I’m just trying not to get wrinkles and stop the need for Botox too early.”
The Olympic 800m champion’s time of 1min 57.28sec, easing down, showed that she is in prime condition for her likely showdown with the new Swiss superstar Audrey Werro and the multiple Olympic and world medallist Femke Broeders‑Bol on Friday night.
“I felt really good,” Hodgkinson said. “I think that’s the fastest I’ve ever run in a heat. But I could feel the girls pushing on my shoulder. And, to be honest, running at that kind of pace is a bit more in keeping with my training, so it actually felt kind of nice. I had to slow myself down a bit. But I’ve got a day off now before the semi-final and I feel good.”
The 24-year-old Briton revealed she has arrived in Birmingham having run a personal best in a camp in Portugal that she and her coach, Trevor Painter, use to gauge her fitness before major championships. “Portugal went really well,” Hodgkinson said.
“I’m really happy and just excited to showcase where I’m at and hopefully have the performance I know I’m capable of. It’s always all about medals. They create legacy. This will hopefully be my fifth back‑to‑back title.”
Next up is the semi-final on Thursday. If she makes it through she will not, however, be wearing the shades in the final on Friday. “No, it’s going to be nearly 10pm and I want to see everything,” she said with a laugh.
Werro showed she, too, in exceptional form as she made her time of 1:57.83 look like a jog in the park. Broeders-Bol also looked good as she continued her transition from the 400m hurdles with a similarly straightforward 1:59.96.
Werro, of course, beat Hodgkinson in Stockholm in June in what was the third fastest time in history and she is not concerned about facing Britain’s best on home turf. “It’s always like all other championships,” Werro said.
“It’s true that there are a lot of people here for her, but I think there are also a lot of Swiss people, so it’s a bit of a balance. It’s really great to be here at the European championships and I am expecting great things.
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“It’s a bit different because at the other championships I was never the best, the favourite athlete, and now it’s a little bit more pressure. But I think I can take this pressure and transform it to a positive thing. It gives me a lot of confidence to know I can run fast.”