Keely Hodgkinson says winning a European gold medal in front of her home fans in Birmingham this week will be nearly as special as her Olympic title in Paris.
Hodgkinson is the headline act as the European Athletics Championships come to Britain for the first time in its 92-year history, but she insists the intense spotlight on her only increases her determination to win 800m gold.
“I don’t really see it as pressure,” the 24-year-old said. “I just see it as more of a motivation. There’s going to be a lot of my family there to support me, and hopefully I’ll be able to stand on top of the podium and have a national anthem in the UK. That would be incredibly special. It would mean as much to me, almost, as winning in Paris.”
Part of Hodgkinson’s excitement comes from knowing that the world’s four fastest women in 2026 will all be competing including the Swiss star Audrey Werro, who shocked her in June by running 1min 53.98sec, making her the third fastest woman in the race’s history.
Hodgkinson, though, believes she is still the best in the world over two laps, and intends to prove it against a field that includes the former 400m hurdle world champion Femke Broeders‑Bol, who has run 1:55 this year.
Monday 10 August
Amy Hunt is a warm favourite for the women’s 100m (9.50pm), but no British athlete has won more European golds than DIna Asher-Smith, the defending champion. Elsewhere, Norwegian superstar Jakob Ingebrigtsen returns from an Achilles injury in the men’s 5,000m (8.40pm) and there’s also an intriguing 4x400m mixed relay final (9.40pm).
Tuesday 11 August
Keely Hodgkinson begins the defence of her women’s 800m title (12.05pm). The big event of the night is the men’s 100m, where Italian Marcel Jacobs is the favourite to defend his crown (9.45pm), with Britain’s Romell Glave his closest challenger. The women’s 110m hurdles (9.30pm) should also be a cracker.
Wednesday 12 August
Local lad Matt Hudson-Smith is expected to win the men’s 400m gold for a third time (8.50pm), while Emily Newnham should medal in the women’s 400m hurdles (9.08pm), although Slovakia’s Emma Zapletalova is the wide-margin favourite.
Thursday, 13 August
Hodgkinson goes in the women’s 800m semi-finals (12:10pm). A stacked evening card includes a men’s 800m final (9.28pm) where Max Burgin and Ben Pattison should feature and the women’s 200m where Hunt (9.50pm) will be favourite. In the women’s steeplechase (8.30pm), Britain’s Elise Thorner should cap a breakout season with gold.
Friday 14 August
All eyes will be on the women’s 800m final (9.45pm), which could be the race of the year. In June Swiss star Audrey Werro ran the third fastest time in history to beat Hodgkinson in Stockholm. Can the Brit get her revenge? Former 400m hurdles world champion Femke Broeders-Bol is a live threat too. Elsewhere Karsten Warholm should win another men’s 400m hurdles (8.40pm).
Saturday, 15 August
Nafi Thiam’s withdrawal with injury means there will be a new heptathlon champion for the first time since 2016 and Katarina Johnson-Thompson will hope to take advantage (7.45pm). Britain also have medal chances in the men’s and women's 4x100m relay (9.33 and 9.48pm), a strong men’s 1500m featuring Jake Wightman (9.07pm) and the women’s 400m (8.10pm) where Amber Anning should medal.
Sunday, 16 August
Britain will expect a bumper day with Georgia Hunter Bell favourite in the women’s 1500m (9.13pm), along with strong medal chances in the women's and men’s 4x400m relay (9.33pm and 9.48pm) and the mixed 4x100m relay (8.35pm). Early birds can catch the women’s and men’s marathon (7:30am and 8:10am), while Mondo Duplantis will hope to get his season back on track with gold in the men’s pole vault (7.30pm)
“This is what I train for,” Hodgkinson said.
“This is the exciting moment. I’ve had lots of people come around and challenge me but I’ve medalled at every single championships.
“It’s going to be the race of the championships. It’s really interesting to look at how the standard in Europe has come on. But I think it’s really exciting – it just means that a European title is just as important, and just as fun, as a world title at this point.”
Hodgkinson confirmed she was back at full fitness after injuring both knees in a fall on to a metal grate in late June. “I feel in a good place. Obviously there’s a bit of a tough patch in June/July but I’m happy and I’m excited to compete and I just think it’ll bring out the best in me.
“My knees are healed. I’ve got some fat scars but they’re all fine. It was just a sticky one. I didn’t miss any training or anything. It was more just a lot of pain and inflammation. I’m looking forward to putting that behind me.”
Britain will hope to get off to a strong start to the championships on Monday, with Amy Hunt the favourite for gold in the women’s 100m, ahead of the defending champion Dina Asher-Smith and the Polish star Ewa Swoboda.
Hodgkinson, whose 800m campaign begins on Tuesday, with the semi-finals on Thursday and final on Friday, is backing Britain to challenge for the top of the medal table. “I think we’ll get a few surprise medals as well. The team is really strong and I think it’s going to do great things for the sport by inspiring the next generation.”
