Keely Hodgkinson asserted her dominance in the final race of her 2026 campaign by taking the 800‑metre gold at the Athlos meet in London, where she also unveiled a brand‑new, full‑length hooded speed suit. The 24‑year‑old British middle‑distance star had endured a challenging two‑month spell marked by illness and a lingering hamstring problem, which she disclosed this week after an MRI scan revealed an "abnormality" in the muscle. Despite these setbacks, Hodgkinson arrived in London looking sharp, both in performance and attire. The women's 800m has become a marquee showdown this season, with Switzerland's rising talent Audrey Werro, Hodgkinson herself, and the Netherlands' Femke Bol all trading blows in a race that edges ever closer to the 43‑year‑old world record of 1:53.28.
While Werro and Bol were absent from the StoneX Stadium on Friday, Hodgkinson seized the opportunity, cruising to a comfortable 1:56.40 finish and successfully defending the Athlos title she claimed the previous year. Athlos is a women‑only athletics series launched in 2023 by Reddit co‑founder Alexis Ohanian, husband of tennis legend Serena Williams. The event aims to spotlight female athletes and combine sport with a touch of glamour.
Hodgkinson said the occasion felt perfect for debuting her cutting‑edge kit: "I'm honoured they let me put this on show. I was a little nervous walking out. The shades helped me block out the noise, but it was really fun and it's something I'll remember forever." She explained that the suit was the result of months of collaboration with Nike's innovation team.
"Honestly this has been like a year in the making with all the adjustments and fittings. It was a really fun process with the Nike innovation team. I think it's a mixture of fashion, speed and science all coming together, for maybe the future of athletics potentially," Hodgkinson said.
The athlete added that being chosen to wear the prototype at an all‑women's event felt especially fitting, noting that the combination of "glitz and glamour" matched the suit's bold aesthetic. Visually, the outfit evoked memories of Australian sprint legend Cathy Freeman, who famously wore a distinctive suit when she won the women's 400m at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Hodgkinson believes her own garment complies with all regulations and revealed that she had already tested it during a training camp in South Africa, where temperatures neared 40 °C. "The science was like technically with the air drag you're slower with your hair out, but I was like, 'that's a non‑negotiable.
My hair is staying out'. I'm very much 'look good, feel good' and that mental and physical balance," she explained. When asked whether she might wear the suit at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Hodgkinson hinted that future regulations could evolve: "We might know some things that people don't! It was a test out there.
This is not something we haven't seen before. Like Cathy Freeman and some other athletes from a while ago did something like this, and this is the updated new version, with the new technology." She also reflected on the inspirational aspect of drawing from past icons: "She [Freeman] was before I was born, but I have seen the race and photos.
It was really cool to draw inspiration from the past and make it your own as well. The style was a big thing for me.
I wanted to be comfortable but I wanted to feel a little bit sexy, the back's open and that makes it feel really cool so I'm not hot at all. It feels like I'm wearing nothing, to be honest." Beyond the fashion statement, Hodgkinson's season has been defined by both triumphs and trials. Earlier in February, she shattered the women's indoor 800m world record, fueling hopes of also breaking the outdoor mark set by Czechoslovakian runner Jarmila Kratochvílová in 1983.
That record remains controversial due to allegations of a state‑run doping program in the former country, a claim Kratochvílová has consistently denied. This year, however, the British star has been overtaken in the rankings by Swiss prodigy Werro, who bested her at the European Championships and the Ultimate Championships.
Hodgkinson missed the final two Diamond League meetings after sustaining a hamstring tear at the European Championships in Birmingham, though she continued to compete despite the injury. Explaining her unique physiology, Hodgkinson said, "My body is quite literally built differently. Where most people have one tendon, mine is split – I have two – and we're trying to figure out if it's a strength or a weakness.
So when one of them tore, I still had another one because it's split. In Birmingham, it didn't affect me during the race, but I could feel something wasn't quite right." She added that the condition, while unusual, has not forced her to abandon training: "It's a weird one. You can still run on them. I haven't missed any training the last three weeks.
But I've just had to alter my approach. I've had to take my foot off the speed [training], because that's when it's most risky." Despite the setbacks, Hodgkinson's performance in London demonstrated her resilience and her willingness to push the boundaries of both athletic performance and sport fashion. The season‑ending victory, coupled with the debut of her futuristic hooded suit, suggests that she remains a compelling figure to watch as she looks ahead to future championships and potentially the next Olympic Games.