Hodgkinson fit for World Athletics Ultimate Championship
Keely Hodgkinson is confirmed for the 800m in Budapest after a hamstring scare, setting up a three-way battle with Audrey Werro and Femke Bol.
Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson will race at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest this week. Her coach, Trevor Painter, confirmed her fitness on X after a hamstring issue had threatened her participation.
The women's 800m semi-finals are on Friday, with the final on Saturday. The winner will earn $150,000 from the event's record $10 million total prize fund.
Three-way 800m showdown
Hodgkinson returns to face her two main rivals. Audrey Werro beat her to the European title last month, while Femke Bol pushed Werro close at the recent Diamond League final. Hodgkinson herself was just 0.2 seconds behind Werro in Birmingham earlier this season.
Werro, 22, is in dominant form and has approached Jarmila Kratochvilova's long-standing world record. Bol, the world 400m hurdles champion, is still adapting to the two-lap event. This creates the potential for a close three-way contest.
Kerr and Ingebrigtsen clash in doubt
In the men's 1500m, Josh Kerr is scheduled to race for the first time this season on Sunday. He was set for a first post-Paris Olympic meeting with Jakob Ingebrigtsen, but that now appears unlikely.
Norwegian outlet Dagbladet reports sources close to Ingebrigtsen consider a 1500m start in Budapest improbable. The Olympic 5000m champion has not officially withdrawn, but speculation increased after his run in Brussels.
There, Ingebrigtsen ran a season's best for fourth place, faster than Olympic champion Cole Hocker's season's best. Ingebrigtsen was frustrated with the passive racing, doing much of the pace-setting himself.
Ingebrigtsen's recovery path
Ingebrigtsen's brother and agent, Henrik Ingebrigtsen, told reporters the athlete is still "a shadow of himself" compared to his peak. He said the direction is positive for next season.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen struck a more fiery tone immediately after the Brussels race with Norwegian broadcaster NRK. The following day, he posted a more measured note on Instagram. "I love racing and I try to do as much as I can," Ingebrigtsen said. "I'm excited to run in Budapest!"
Kerr arrives in Budapest with a world indoor 3000m title, a mile world record, and Commonwealth Games gold from this season. The stage is set for his return to the track where he won his first world title in 2023.
