Keely Hodgkinson begins an outside season during which she’s going to search to interrupt the long-standing ladies’s 800m world document by testing her pace over 400m on the Rome Diamond League on Thursday, which is reside 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 time, ideally on house soil on the London Diamond League occasion in July, after smashing the world indoor document in March.
Earlier than then, the 24-year-old begins her racing preparations in Rome, the place she’s going to line up with a 400m private greatest nearly one second slower than any of her rivals.
The choice to “throw myself in on the deep finish”, she says, is to show her one-lap potential following a speed-focused coaching block – one thing which accidents have prevented her from doing previous to her previous two out of doors seasons.
“Hopefully bringing down that 400m time goes to make that first lap of the 800m really feel good,” Hodgkinson stated.
“I believe it is going to give me some confidence. If anybody is like ‘Keely has bought no pace’, I will be like ‘sure I do, thanks’.
“The 400m for me is a little bit of enjoyable, one thing completely different. The road up in Rome is loopy however I believe it is good to place myself able the place, on paper, I am moving into because the slowest. I am wanting ahead to difficult myself.”