Keely Hodgkinson has withdrawn from the women’s 800m at the Zurich Diamond League on Thursday, cutting short what had been billed as another major late-season showdown in the event.
Event organisers confirmed the decision on Monday afternoon, saying the British Olympic champion would not race in Zurich. Hodgkinson was scheduled to line up against Audrey Werro in a field that also included Lilian Odira, Georgia Hunter-Bell and Femke Broeders-Bol.
Why Hodgkinson pulled out
Hodgkinson said the decision came down to recovery after a demanding stretch. “Unfortunately, the body isn’t quite ready to race again after the European Championships, we’ve made the decision to skip this race and get ready for the next one,” she said.
That tracks with the way her season has unfolded. Hodgkinson returned to competition after a late-June fall that left her with knee injuries, then ran second at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, on July 4 in 1:56.73s. She followed that with a win at the London Diamond League in 1:56.21s, and said on July 17 that she was “a lot better than I was” at that stage.
What changed in the build-up to Zurich
The Zurich withdrawal comes nine days after Audrey Werro beat Hodgkinson to European gold in Birmingham, England. It also follows a season that has already included some notable highs, along with the injury interruptions that have become part of Hodgkinson’s recent story.
Earlier in 2025, Hodgkinson broke the world indoor 800m record in Lievin, France, with a 1:54.87s run in February, then won the world indoor title in March in 1:55.31s, with Werro finishing second. But the bigger picture has also included repeat hamstring issues in 2025 and the knee injury from the late-June fall.
For Zurich, the headline race is now gone, but the season is not over. Hodgkinson is still expected to compete at the Diamond League finals in Brussels at the start of September, giving her one more major target before the year reaches its final stretch.
In practical terms, the withdrawal removes a high-profile rematch from one of the sport’s biggest meets. It also leaves the women’s 800m picture open a little longer, even as Hodgkinson continues to balance results, recovery and the need to be ready for the next race.
