Keely Hodgkinson says injury lay-off may have helped after New York victory

Keely Hodgkinson admitted an injury-plagued past few months might have played into her hands as she ended her season by storming to victory in the 800 metres at the women-only Athlos meet.

A hamstring tear followed by a couple of setbacks during her rehabilitation meant Hodgkinson was on the sidelines for just over a year following her gold medal win at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

She won bronze at last month’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo but was back on top in New York, racing to victory in one minute and 56.53 seconds in what was only her sixth event of the year.

Fellow Briton and training partner Georgia Hunter Bell was the runner-up, who finished 1.8 seconds adrift of Hodgkinson, with St Vincent’s Shafiqua Maloney third.

“I’ve barely raced this season so it was probably less of a struggle for me to go out there and want to give it something,” Hodgkinson told reporters.

America’s Brittany Brown won the sprint double, as she triumphed in the 100m and 200m.