Title: Diamond League 2026 - Hodgkinson set for 400m test in Rome

Original: Diamond League 2026 - everything you need to know - Published Keely Hodgkinson begins an outdoor season in which she will seek to break the long-standing women's 800m world record by testing her speed over 400m at the Rome Diamond League on Thursday, which is live on the BBC. Britain's Olympic 800m champion has made clear her intention to topple Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova's 43-year mark this summer, ideally on home soil at the London Diamond League event in July, after smashing the world indoor record in March. Before then, the 24-year-old starts her racing preparations in Rome, where she will line up with a 400m personal best almost one second slower than any of her rivals. The decision to "throw myself in at the deep end", she says, is to demonstrate her one-lap potential following a speed-focused training block - something which injuries have prevented her from doing prior to her past two outdoor seasons. "Hopefully bringing down that 400m time is going to make that first lap of the 800m feel nice," Hodgkinson said. "I think it will give me some confidence. If anyone is like 'Keely has got no speed', I'll be like 'yes I do, thank you'. "The 400m for me is a bit of fun, something different. The line up in Rome is crazy but I think it's good to put myself in a position where, on paper, I'm going in as the slowest. I'm looking forward to challenging myself." Hodgkinson ready for 'battle of world records' in London - Published4 days ago GB's Burgin beats Wanyonyi to win Diamond League 800m - Published1 day ago Hodgkinson, who has a 400m personal best of 51.61 seconds, is joined in the 400m by Britain's 2025 world indoor champion Amber Anning - one of six athletes in the line-up who have gone sub-50. Also in Rome, British sprinter Jeremiah Azu contests a star-studded men's 100m headlined by reigning Olympic champion Noah Lyles, while Dina Asher-Smith and Amy Hunt go head-to-head with world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden in the women's 200m. Georgia Hunter Bell, Laura Muir and Revee Walcott-Nolan compete over 1500m, while two-time world indoor pole vault champion Molly Caudery is also in action. Watch coverage live on BBC Three and the BBC Sport website and app from 20:00 BST on Thursday. The Diamond League - athletics' premier one-day meeting series - consists of 15 stops, this year culminating in a two-day final in Brussels in September, which will precede the inaugural season-ending World Athletics Ultimate Championship. Key events and timings at Rome Diamond League Thursday, 4 May (All times BST) 18:15 - women's pole vault (GB's Molly Caudery) 20:27 - men's shot put (Olympic champion Ryan Crouser) 21:15 - women's 400m (GB's Keely Hodgkinson & Amber Anning) 21:27 - women's 200m (GB's Dina Asher-Smith & Amy Hunt, world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden & Olympic 100m champion Julian Alfred) 21:37 - women's 1500m (GB's Georgia Hunter Bell, Laura Muir & Revee Walcott-Nolan 21:52 - men's 100m (GB's Jeremiah Azu, Olympic champion Noah Lyles & Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo) What to watch out for in 2026 Diamond League After Rome, Hodgkinson will race over 800m at Diamond League meetings in Stockholm and Eugene before heading to London. Training partner Hunter Bell and reigning world 800m champion Lilian Odira will also be competing at the Prefontaine Classic as the three medallists from Tokyo are reunited in Eugene. Josh Kerr has announced he will attempt to break the long-standing men's mile world record at the London Diamond League meeting this summer. The London Athletics Meet will be a key date in the diary of many British stars, with a women's 200m showdown between relay team-mates Hunt, Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita among the standout events. After improving the pole vault world record for the 15th time by clearing 6.31 metres in March, the unstoppable Duplantis returns to Stockholm - where he set his first world record on home soil last year - with Paris, London and a city event in Lausanne also among his ta

Rewritten:

Diamond League 2026: Hodgkinson to Challenge Speed Limits in Rome

Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson kicks off her outdoor campaign this Thursday at the Rome Diamond League, broadcast live on the BBC. The 24-year-old is using the 400m race as a strategic test of her speed ahead of her primary goal: dethroning Jarmila Kratochvilova’s 43-year-old women’s 800m world record. Hodgkinson has indicated that her preferred venue for this historic attempt is the London Diamond League in July, following her successful breaking of the world indoor record in March.

In Rome, however, Hodgkinson enters the 400m field with a personal best of 51.61 seconds—a time nearly a second slower than her competitors. Despite the disparity, she views the race as a crucial opportunity to showcase her one-lap capabilities after a dedicated speed-training phase, an aspect of her preparation previously hindered by injuries in her last two outdoor seasons.

"Throwing myself in at the deep end" is how Hodgkinson describes the move, aiming to prove her sprinting prowess. "Hopefully, improving that 400m time will make the first lap of the 800m feel much easier," she explained. "I believe it will boost my confidence. If there are those who think I lack speed, I’ll be happy to prove them wrong."

While she acknowledges the depth of the Roman field, Hodgkinson welcomes the challenge. "The 400m is a bit of fun and a change of pace. It’s advantageous to position myself as the outsider on paper. I’m eager to push myself."

Hodgkinson will share the 400m track with Britain’s 2025 world indoor champion Amber Anning. Both are among six competitors in the event who have previously broken the 50-second barrier.

The Rome meeting features a star-studded lineup across multiple disciplines. In the men’s 100m, British sprinter Jeremiah Azu faces off

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-06-02 17:56:41 UTC