Hodgkinson withdraws from Zurich 800m, skipping rematch with Werro

Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson has pulled out of Thursday's Zurich Diamond League race, citing her body not being ready after the European Championships. She will miss a chance to face Audrey Werro, who defeated her for European gold nine days ago. Hodgkinson has dealt with hamstring and knee issues recently, though she remains one of the fastest women in the event's history.

Hodgkinson’s withdrawal stems from lingering physical strain, including a late-June knee injury from tripping over metal floor meshing during a cool-down. Despite that, she won the London Diamond League in 1:56.21 and finished second at the Prefontaine Classic behind Lilian Odira. Her 2025 season was also limited by repeat hamstring issues, yet she still ran the second-fastest 800m globally last year.

Werro has been unstoppable outdoors, winning 12 of 13 races this summer, including four Diamond League victories. The Zurich field still features Odira, Georgia Hunter-Bell, and Femke Broeders-Bol, who set a Dutch record of 1:55.41 in Lausanne. Hodgkinson is expected to return for the Brussels Diamond League finals and the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest.