Keely Hodgkinson leads ‘different’ Keely Klassic to reveal new potential after injury heartache

The Olympic champion was unable to run at the inaugural event due to injury, but hundreds of kids turned out for the new event, as she bids to recover in time for the World Championships in Tokyo. On an afternoon when Keely Hodgkinson had planned to claim a world record, Great Britain’s queen of athletics perhaps discovered something more precious. The heartbreak of her shock injury this week, scuppering an audacious run to take down Jolanda Ceplak’s long-standing mark of 1m 55.82secs, had somewhat subsided as hundreds of adoring young girls turned out to offer overwhelming support to their idol at the inaugural Keely Klassic.

This hamstring tear is a blow, particularly in the short-term, denying the Paris gold medallist a shot at another crown at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China next month. But the 22-year-old remains bullish she can run again in two to three weeks and ultimately push for gold at the outdoor World Championships in Tokyo in September. So without Hodgkinson, attention turned to Georgia Hunter Bell on the track, and she flirted with the British 1,500m indoor record, only to fall six-tenths of a second short but still producing an impressive run to win in 4mins 0.63secs.

“It felt like a really fun atmosphere,” Hunter Bell said, with European and World Indoor Championships next on her schedule as she bids to back up her bronze medal from Paris. “When we came out everyone was dancing, so it was a bit different to the usual meet.”. Joining the Olympic bronze medallist as the biggest attractions without Hodgkinson was Olympian Neil Gourley, who broke the British 1,000m indoor record in 2mins 16.74secs to sharpen up for a run at European and, pending an almighty domestic battle in one of the deepest events, the World Indoor Championships too.

“There are loads of kids here, I came down before and did lots of signing autographs, and I felt bad because I am not running,” Hodgkinson remarked when assessing the success of her event. “A lot of them told me they don’t do athletics but are here, which is quite nice. “The gold medal has enabled me to put on events like this and to bring a new generation to the sport to enjoy watching it. More or less I think I like to do my best and whatever comes from that, comes from that. It's so amazing to hear the stories from little girls and boys who watched me perform in Paris, that's what really inspires me.”.

Her satisfaction comes a few days after Michael Johnson criticised the event’s format after that unfortunate injury removed its star attraction. “The current structure of the sport doesn’t work,” said the four-time Olympic champion, weeks away from his own venture to reshape the sport with US-centric series Grand Slam Track. “You can’t build around one star. It’s not compelling. Competition is. And it’s too big a risk and broadcasters know it.”.

He might have a point about broadcasting, with the disappointing move from the BBC to snub the event during a Six Nations fallow week. But Hodgkinson has inspired a new fanbase and this event appealed to a rare crowd, admittedly not at full capacity though predominantly packed with kids, a difficult feat in professional sport with the temptation to neglect sport for other interests. Positioned in the heart of the arena, in lane four of the 60m track, stood a gold and red throne. Waiting for prospective record-breakers, such as Lina Nielsen, who gleefully skipped over in front of an adoring crowd after breaking the British 300m record with a sizzling run of 36.53secs.

There was no world record here, barely 12 hours after Grant Fisher’s stunning indoor 5,00m (12 mins 44.09ses) added to a groundbreaking season around the world. But this was an entirely different atmosphere and demographic: fans appeared less bothered by breathtaking splits and more compelled to get out of their seats and dance to the various hits played by DJ Tony Perry. You were struck by the hundreds of young girls in attendance, too, evidently inspired by what Hodgkinson has done for British athletics.

"It was a killer blow with Keely hurting her hamstring, that was always going to impact the hype behind this, she was obviously the star attraction, for obvious reasons,” Gourley said. “So it was a shame. But it seems like people have still got behind it, we still have enough talent in this country, such as Georgia [Hunter Bell], to have this thing standing on its own. We need a date on the circuit in this country, we really do, in whatever shape or form that is.".

Hodgkinson now faces her toughest test yet on the road to Tokyo, with her injury providing a fresh challenge after achieving greatness last year. “I find that [overcoming an injury] really motivating to be honest and I do love a good challenge,” Hodgkinson concluded. “It gives me motivation. “Probably now coming back from injury and also mixing in that pressure of being the reigning Olympic champion, that's a new experience for all of us in the team. But we're looking to take it on.”.