Keely Hodgkinson poised for long-awaited comeback
Olympic 800m champion set to race for the first time since last year's victory in Paris when she takes to the start line in the Diamond League in Silesia on Saturday
Just over one year since storming to Olympic gold in Paris, Keely Hodgkinson will make her much-anticipated return to the track on Saturday (Aug 16) at the Diamond League meeting in Silesia, Poland.
There have been a few false starts in the past 12 months. She was unable to race at the event in February that bore her name – the Keely Klassic – for example. The recent Diamond League in London came a little too soon for her as well as she battled back to fitness following hamstring problems.
But she is finally poised to race this weekend in Poland in a non-Diamond League 800m race before testing her fitness again four days later at the Diamond League in Lausanne.
Hodgkinson's race unfolds just before the start of the two-hour Diamond League window of televised events, but fans will be pleased to hear that producers aim to begin their broadcast by showing a two-lap race which will have unfolded just a few minutes earlier.
When it comes to competition, Oratile Nowe of Botswana has the best season's best with 1:57.49 but the field also includes Abbey Caldwell and Catriona Bisset of Australia, Raevyn Rogers of the United States and Gabriela Gajanová, the Slovakian athlete who finished runner-up to Hodgkinson in the European Championships in Rome last year.
It's a strong field but is an ideal field for a comeback appearance as it does not include her biggest rivals such as Mary Moraa, Tsige Duguma, Prudence Sekgodiso, rising star Audrey Werro, out-of-sorts Athing Mu or in-form training partner Georgia Hunter Bell.
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"It's been a long time – over a year – since Paris," says Hodgkinson, "and it wasn't my plan to get back on the start line so late but I'm super happy to be back racing.
“It’s been upsetting at times,” she added. “Missing London was hardest for me because I just wanted to be there in front of my home crowd. Yes, it has been frustrating but it makes the good times sweeter and it makes it even better to be here now.
"I've missed it. I've missed it a lot. This is what I train to do. I can't wait to get out there and am going to give it my best and will see what happens."
This Kamila Skolimowska Memorial meeting in Poland also sees Faith Kipyegon back in action following her world 1500m record in Eugene in early July.
In Poland she tackles the 3000m – a rare outing for her over this particular distance – and will no doubt have one eye on Wang Junxia's long-time world record of 8:06.11. Kipyegon's PB is 8:23.55 but she is expected to at least improve upon that time given the form she has been in lately.
Pacing Kipyegon in the 3000m is Olympic 1500m silver medallist Jess Hull of Australia, whereas the women's 1500m sees Beatrice Chebet of Kenya taking on Gudaf Tsegay and Diribe Welteji of Ethiopia plus Hunter Bell of Britain. This intriguing metric mile match-up almost happened in the Diamond League in London but Chebet, the world 5000m and 10,000m record-holder and Olympic champion, pulled out on that occasion, although she is clearly still keen to test herself over a much shorter distance than usual.
READ MORE: Why Faith Kipyegon dares to dream
The men's 1500m, meanwhile, sees Neil Gourley of Britain, Tim Cheruiyot of Kenya, Cameron Myers of Australia and Josh Hoey, Hobbs Kessler and Yared Nuguse of the United States in action.
Fresh from his latest world record of 6.29m in Budapest this week, Mondo Duplantis is in action again in the pole vault and returns to the scene of one of his past world records – 6.26m in Poland last year.
In the sprints, Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek Trayvon Bromell and Christian Coleman of the United States take on Kishane Thompson of Jamaica and Akani Simbine of South Africa in a men's 100m that will be a great clue as to who might come out on top at the World Championships in Tokyo in a month's time.
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Sha'Carri Richardson of the United States, Dina Asher-Smith of Britain, Tina and Tia Clayton of Jamaica and Marie Josee Ta Lou-Smith of the Ivory Coast are in the women's 100m. Expect a great atmosphere with home favourite Ewa Swoboda of Poland also in the mix.
The women’s 200m sees Shericka Jackson of Jamaica leading a line-up that includes Britain's Amy Hunt and Daryll Neita.
Amber Anning, the world indoor champion from Britain, is in a strong women's 400m field that includes Marileidy Paulino of Dominican Republic, Natalia Bukowiecka of Poland and Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain.
Femke Bol and Karsten Warholm lead the 400m hurdles line-ups.
In the sprint hurdles, meanwhile, Olympic champions Masai Russell and Grant Holloway of the United States are part of stacked fields.
AW PODCAST: check it out here
The majority of the meeting is on Saturday but the women’s high jump, pole vault and shot put are on Friday in the Katowice Market Square where athletes in action include high jump world record-holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine.
Timetable and results here
For UK viewers the meeting is live on BBC2 from 3-5pm on Saturday plus the BBC website and iPlayer.
