Keely Hodgkinson won the 400m title at the England U23 Championships in a championship record time of 52.24 seconds. The 21-year-old, who won Olympic silver in the 800m in Tokyo last year, broke Christine Ohuruogo’s 18-year-old record of 52.43 seconds.
Hodgkinson, who is coached by Trevor Painter, started the race conservatively and was in third place at the halfway stage. However, she kicked for home in the final 100m and stormed to victory.
The win is a major boost for Hodgkinson ahead of the World Championships in Oregon later this year. She is now the favourite to win the 400m title at the World Championships.
Hodgkinson’s win was one of the highlights of the England U23 Championships. Other winners on the day included Jake Wightman, who won the 1500m in a time of 3:35.40, and Holly Archer, who won the 100m hurdles in a time of 12.87 seconds.
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The England U23 Championships are a major talent identification event for British Athletics. The performances of Hodgkinson, Wightman and Archer suggest that the future is bright for British athletics.
