It hasn’t been the most exciting World Championships for Britain so far, with Jake Wightman’s 1500m silver standing as the only major highlight. However, the mood finally lifted on Thursday when Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson showcased her class in the 800m qualifying.
The 800m specialist, who has been passing time in the scorching 35°C heat by staging fun indoor races with her training partner, Georgia Hunter Bell, ran a comfortable 1:59.79 to book her place in the semi-finals. While not her fastest or prettiest performance, Hodgkinson admitted that the rounds always felt tough, saying, “I don’t like the rounds. They feel awful. It was not pretty or fast tonight but I am safely through.”
Hunter-Bell, who won her heat, also made it through to the next stage, but there was disappointment for Jemma Reekie, who finished fifth and did not advance.
On the men’s side, Max Burgin delivered a confident performance in the men’s 800m, cruising into Saturday’s final with a second-place finish in 1:43.47. Reflecting on the race, Burgin remarked that he felt he had plenty of energy left, hinting that he could push even harder in the final. He also spoke confidently about his chances of winning a medal, stating, “I know what that 1:42 low pace feels like, even if it gets pushed down to 1:41, I should be comfortable sticking with it.”
Burgin believes that with the experience of competing in fast-paced races in the Diamond League, there’s no reason he can’t contend for gold in the final.
Britain’s 200m hopes also saw a boost with Amy Hunt clocking a personal best of 22.08 to qualify as the third fastest for Friday’s final. Dina Asher-Smith also made it through, but Daryll Neita, unfortunately, did not. Hunt was elated with her performance, saying, “I wanted this final so much, no matter what. I had to beat those girls. It’s so special to do my PB here to make it to the final.”
On an encouraging night for the Brits, Hannah Nuttall secured her place in the women’s 5,000m final, finishing seventh in 14:48.09. Determined to give her all, Nuttall said, “You’ve got to get on it, and if you die, you die, but you’re going to die trying.”
