Keely Hodgkinson withdraws from Zurich Diamond League as body “not quite ready”

Keely Hodgkinson has withdrawn from the women’s 800 metres at Thursday’s Diamond League meeting in Zurich because her “body is not quite ready”.

Olympic champion Hodgkinson had been set to go head-to-head with Switzerland’s Audrey Werro, who beat the Briton to gold at the European Championships in Birmingham earlier this month.

“Unfortunately the body isn’t quite ready to race again after the European Championships,” Hodgkinson said in a statement.

“We’ve made the decision to skip this race and get ready for the next one. Sad to miss it, hopefully see you next year!”

The race will feature world 400m hurdles champion Femke Broeders-Bol, who has stepped up to the 800m this season, and Hodgkinson’s training partner Georgia Hunter-Bell, who won 800m gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last month.

World 800m champion Lilian Odira of Kenya, who beat Hodgkinson and Hunter-Bell to gold in Tokyo last year, has pulled out of the race after suffering from illness and weakness since the Commonwealth Games.

After suffering hamstring and knee injuries over the past few years, Hodgkinson skipped the Commonwealth Games to prioritise the European Championships amid a busy summer schedule.

“I signed myself up for Zurich because I knew everyone was in it but me. I want to be in with the best and I think that’s going to bring out the best in me,” Hodgkinson said in Birmingham earlier this month.

Before winning 800m gold at the London Diamond League on 18 July, Hodgkinson said she was feeling “definitely a lot better than I was”.

Thursday’s meet in Zurich is the penultimate Diamond League event of the season, with the final to take place in Brussels over two days on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 September.