After her late withdrawal from final 12 months’s London Athletics Meet, Keely Hodgkinson was decided to return to the occasion in 2024 and placed on a present for her house crowd. The 22-year-old did it in fashion, too, within the British capital, on Saturday (July 20) with a nationwide 800m document of 1:54.61.
With the Olympics imminent, can she now step up from a collection of world silvers to assert gold in Paris?
The sensible efficiency improves on her British document of 1:55.19 and now strikes Hodgkinson from tenth to sixth on the world all-time rankings, overtaking the likes of Athing Mu, Maria Mutola and Tatyana Kazankina. Is it an excessive amount of to dream that Jarmila Kratochvilova’s long-standing world document of 1:53.28 is now in her sights?
“I’ve been trying ahead to this all week,” stated Hodgkinson. “London actually is aware of how one can placed on a crowd. I simply have to remain targeted now for the Olympics and go and get the job accomplished.”
This wasn’t all about Hodgkinson, although. The UK rankings had been re-written with gorgeous private bests from Jemma Reekie and Georgia Bell.
After Erin Wallace led by way of the bell in 55.58, Hodgkinson took up the lead at 500m however Reekie, who gained this race 12 months earlier, caught in doggedly behind and her reward was a time of 1:55.61 that places her second on the UK all-time rankings, simply forward of Kelly Holmes’ former UK document of 1:56.21. Reekie was recovering from a bout of Covid solely a fortnight earlier too.
Bell stepped down from her extra acquainted 1500m distance and improved her 800m greatest from 1:59.93 to 1:56.28 as she strikes into fourth on the UK rankings.
Such was the usual, Laura Muir ran a season’s better of 1:57.63 however was solely eighth.
Matt Hudson-Smith (Getty)
Hudson-Smith smashes European 400m document
Matt Hudson-Smith blew his European document of 44.07 aside because the Birchfield Harrier stormed across the London Stadium in 43.74.
It locations the 29-year-old equal twelfth on the world all-time rankings and marks him out as a gold medal contender in Paris. After silver in Budapest final summer season, can he step up and declare an Olympic title?
Ending in his wake had been Vernon Norwood of the USA and Jereem Richards of Trinidad & Tobago in 44.10 and 44.18 respectively. There was additional pleasure for British followers, although, with Charlie Dobson enhancing his PB to 44.23 as Kirani James, the London Olympic champion 12 years in the past, completed fifth in 44.38.
James, whose all-time greatest can also be 43.74, was among the many first to congratulate Hudson-Smith.
“To run 43 seconds earlier than Paris is strictly what me, my coach and staff had been aiming for,” stated Hudson-Smith. “To get that world lead and to set myself up for Paris is what I actually wanted to indicate the remainder of the world what I’m able to.
“Earlier than at this time I wrote on a paper that I used to be going to run 43.7, as a result of I did a race mannequin and my coach had informed me I used to be in 43 seconds form. All I needed to do was go on the market and present it.”
Femke Bol (Getty)
Sensible Bol runs meet document
Such is the terrific commonplace of Femke Bol’s 400m hurdling, the London Stadium fell a tiny bit flat when she crossed the road in “solely” 51.30. There have been hopes she may enhance her European document of fifty.95 set the earlier weekend in Switzerland however the crowd needed to be glad with a gathering document of 51.30 – barely faster than the Dutch athlete ran right here 12 months earlier when her 51.45 was a European document on the time.
“I really like to run right here on this stadium, it’s so particular and to placed on this nice area it’s unbelievable,” stated Bol. “I’m excited for Paris and naturally placed on my greatest race there. I’m trying ahead to racing Sydney [McLaughlin-Levrone] and that may push us each.”
Behind, Shamier Little of the USA was runner-up in 52.78 and Jessie Knight was high Brit in fifth in a season’s better of 54.15.
Nickisha Pryce additionally impressed over one lap because the 23-year-old clocked a ladies’s 400m assembly and Jamaican document of 48.57. What’s extra, the awe-inspiring time lifted her to seventh on the world all-time rankings.
Nickisha Pryce (Getty)
Behind, European champion Natalia Kaczmarek ran a Polish document of 48.90 in second, whereas Lieke Klaver of Netherlands clocked a 49.58 PB in third.
With half a watch on Christine Ohuruogu’s British document of 49.41, Amber Anning fell simply brief with a wonderful 49.63 as fellow Brit Laviai Nielsen ran a PB of 49.87 in fifth.
Taking a piece off her PB of fifty.67, the run strikes Nielsen from twelfth on the UK all-time rankings to seventh, leaving her in tears afterwards as she smashed by way of the 50-second barrier.
Daryll Neita (Getty)
British document within the 4x100m
Dina Asher-Smith, Imani Lansiquot, Amy Hunt and Daryll Neita took benefit of fine circumstances within the London Stadium to equal their British 4x100m document of 41.55.
Rising to the event in entrance of the close to 60,000-strong crowd, not solely did the quartet match the nationwide mark they ran within the Tokyo Olympics three years in the past, however they loved a confidence boosting efficiency forward of Paris as they beat the Olympic host nation France by greater than half a second.
The GB males’s staff didn’t get pleasure from pretty much as good a day, although, because the A staff failed to complete. Jeremiah Azu, Louie Hinchliffe and Richard Kilty mixed to get the staff into a great place into the ultimate trade however Reece Prescod appeared to set off too quickly and couldn’t get the baton from a flailing Kilty.
Japan gained in 38.07 from Australia with the GB’s second staff anchored by Eugene Amo-Dadzie in third.
Noah Lyles (Getty)
Individuals Lyles and Thomas get pleasure from dash wins
If this Diamond League assembly was an amazing meet for British athletes, the US guests additionally did fairly nicely with Noah Lyles profitable the lads’s 100m in 9.81 (-0.3) and Gabby Thomas the ladies’s 200m in assembly document of 21.82 (-0.9).
The Brits had been additionally within the combine and now know what they should do to problem in Paris. British champion Louie Hinchliffe was fourth within the 100m in 9.97 with Zharnel Hughes, on the comeback from damage, sixth in 10.00 and Jeremiah Azu seventh in 10.08.
If lacking final week’s Diamond League in Monaco made Lyles’ followers nervous, there was no want as he beat Akani Simbine of South Africa (9.86) and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana (9.88), the latter equalling his nationwide document.
“A PB and getting quicker earlier than Paris,” stated Lyles. “I needed to dip underneath the 9.80 mark – I assumed I used to be going to get a wind like everybody else.”
Behind Thomas and Julien Alfred – she ran a Saint Lucia document of 21.86 – Dina Asher-Smith clocked a season’s greatest of twenty-two.07 after fading just a little within the remaining 50 metres after an amazing bend. Daryll Neita was fourth, additionally in a season’s greatest of twenty-two.20, with Rhasidat Adeleke of Eire fifth in 22.35.
Asher-Smith stated: “I’m just a little pissed off however alternatively it’s my greatest time in two years and I’m feeling match and wholesome going into the Olympics so that’s a very powerful factor simply now.”
Gabby Thomas (Getty)
Emsley Carr Mile ruined by early fall
With 17 males racing into the primary bend of a mile race, accidents are at all times doubtless. Is it time to contemplate an 800m-style begin with athletes in lanes for the primary 100m?
The historic Emsley Carr Mile on Saturday was narrowly gained by Olli Hoare of Australia in 3:49.03 from Narve Gilje Nordas however the house crowd was left disenchanted and athletes themselves pissed off when Neil Gourley and George Mills hit the observe within the opening metres and failed to complete.
Dominic Lobalu of Switzerland ran a world lead of seven:27.68 within the males’s 3000m as he outkicked Grant Fisher of the USA (7:27.99) with Edwin Kurgat of Kenya third (7:28.53).
Fisher made a future for house from the bell however Lobalu stayed in contact and had an excessive amount of for the American within the remaining 100m. Behind a string of PBs included Eire’s Brian Fay (7:34.48) and Nick Griggs (7:36.59), Jack Rowe (7:38.70), Scott Beattie (7:42.78) and Will Barnicoat (7:48.12).
Leonardo Fabbri (Getty)
Massive shot Fabbri beats Crouser in head-t0-head
Ryan Crouser suffered a uncommon defeat because the world record-holder completed second to Leonardo Fabbri of Italy. In a key conflict on the eve of the Olympics, European champion Fabbri threw 22.52m to Crouser’s 22.37m as Payton Otterdahl was third with 22.13m and Joe Kovacs fourth with 22.03m.
Britain’s Scott Lincoln couldn’t repeat his latest 21-metre kind as he threw 20.71m in seventh.
Fabbri stated: “I’m actually blissful as a result of mentally I’m actually enhancing loads and I’m actually assured for Paris.”
Nina Kennedy (Getty)
Within the ladies’s pole vault, Nina Kennedy continued her wonderful latest kind on the circuit because the Australian gained with 4.85m as Alysha Newman of Canada was second with 4.75m and Britain’s Molly Caudery third in 4.65m. Olympic champion Katie Moon of the USA, in the meantime, solely cleared 4.50m as she wound up eighth.
The seats within the London Stadium had been nonetheless filling up when Mackenzie Little of Australia threw the javelin out to 66.27m within the first spherical of her occasion. For the world bronze medallist it was the second greatest throw on this planet this 12 months as she beat Adriana Vilagos, who threw a Serbian document of 65.28m.
Little stated: “I couldn’t ask for greater than getting a PB within the final competitors earlier than the Olympics but it surely does deliver plenty of expectation and stress.”
Sam Reardon (Getty)
Large 400m enchancment for Reardon
In one of many breakthrough performances of the day, Sam Reardon whopped nicely over a second off his 400m PB within the ‘nationwide’ race for home males as he gained in 44.70.
Reardon was fifth on this planet under-20 remaining for 800m in 2022 and has juggled 400m and 800m – with a two-lap better of 1:45.95 – however in 2024 he has raced over only one lap and was rewarded with an enormous enchancment on Saturday as he moved to fourteenth on the UK all-time rankings.
The 20-year-old’s earlier greatest was 45.99 set in Dublin earlier this month after operating solely 46.45 to complete third in his warmth on the UK Championships in late June. Till 2024 he hadn’t even damaged 46 seconds both.
“I knew a giant run was on the playing cards however 44.70!?” stated Reardon. “Individuals at all times ask me if I’m a 400m or 800m runner and I at all times say each. However I believe that solidifies me as a 400m runner. I’m simply ecstatic and hoping to do each for so long as doable.”
Yemi Mary John, in the meantime, gained the ladies’s ‘home’ 400m in 51.18.
Zak Skinner (left) (Getty)
Paralympians heat up for Paris
Within the para-athletics occasions, Zak Skinner ran a British document within the T13 100m as he gained the ambulant males’s race in 10.84 (0.9) from Zac Shaw’s 10.87 as Thomas Younger, in third, additionally set a nationwide document within the T38 class with 10.92.
Sophie Hahn loved a win within the ambulant ladies’s 100m as she clocked 12.55 (0.2) to win by nearly half a second.
Brent Lakatos of Canada out-sprinted Brits Nathan Maguire and David Weir to win the lads’s wheelchair 1500m in 2:59.95.
Ben Sandilands clocked 3:55.10 within the ambulant males’s 1500m as he held off fellow Brit Steven Sandilands.
Sammi Kinghorn (Getty)
Sammi Kinghorn is probably extra acquainted to BBC viewers as a presenter on Countryfile or The One Present however on Saturday she gained the ladies’s wheelchair 800m in 1:43.24 from Lea Bayekula of Belgium as Hannah Cockroft completed fifth.
“I’m racing tomorrow on the England Champs,” stated Kinghorn. “It’s on my method house so I assumed I would as nicely and it’s all good championship expertise for doing again to again races. After that it’s all about staying wholesome, staying match and making ready for Paris.”
Eugene Amo-Dadzie (Getty)
Amo-Dadzie’s profitable return
Earlier within the programme Eugene Amo-Dadzie gained the ‘nationwide’ males’s 100m in 10.12 (2.1) from Reece Prescod and CJ Ujah as Imani-Larsa Lansiquot claimed victory within the ladies’s ‘nationwide’ 100m in 11.12 from Desiree Henry and Bianca Williams.
The win was significantly pleasing for Amo-Dadzie as he used to on the London Stadium in hospitality for West Ham United FC.
Full outcomes right here.
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