The world leader had been due to run in the 2023 event but withdrew after feeling ill in warm up. “Ever since I was a little girl I’ve dreamt of racing in the ‘Olympic’ stadium,” she said ahead of the 2024 event. “I was so disappointed to miss out on competing in London last year...but that makes this year extra special.”
The race - and Hodgkinson’s performance - lived up to its hype.
The 22-year-old went through half way in 56.5, almost a full second behind the pacemaker and just ahead of fellow Brit Jemma Reekie, but she kicked hard coming off the final bend and pulled well clear to take the win.
In doing so she set a new meeting record, British record and personal best of 1:54.61, lowering her own world lead and moving her from tenth up to sixth on the world all-time rankings.
Much to the delight of the 60,000 sell-out crowd, she led home a British top three ahead of world indoor silver medallist Reekie and 1500m specialist Georgia Bell who recorded personal best times of 1:55.61 and 1:56.28 in second and third respectively.
“I’ve been looking forward to this all week,” said Hodgkinson post-race. "I felt really good. I just wanted to go for it and see what was there. It was a little bit of bravery and fearlessness. With a great atmosphere like this, I didn't want to waste the opportunity.”
The Olympic Games in Paris was always the goal, and following her confidence-boosting performance in London, Hodgkinson went on to win Olympic gold, adding to a growing CV that also includes Olympic silver (Tokyo 2021), four senior European titles and two World Championship silver medals.
For Bell, the British champion over 1500m, London also showed what was possible. Having dipped under the two-minute mark for the first time in May 2024, she went over three seconds quicker to go fourth on the UK all-time list. In Paris, her closing speed proved pivotal as she moved through the field to win an incredible 1500m bronze in a 3:52.61 PB.
In addition to PBs for Hodgkinson, Reekie and Bell there were a series of season’s best and lifetime best times throughout the field, as well as a national record for Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi in sixth (1:57.26).
Notably, it was just the second race in history in which eight women have bettered 1:58.
The London Athletics Meet - the UK’s biggest one-day athletics event - will return to the London Stadium on Saturday 19 July 2025. Buy your tickets now: britishathletics.org.uk/london-athletics-meet-2025
