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Defiant Hodgkinson says home European title would mean as much as Olympic gold

Keely Hodgkinson will seek to prove she is still number one following a "tricky" outdoor season when she faces world-class rivals for European 800m gold in Birmingham.

Defiant Hodgkinson says home European title would mean as much as Olympic gold

Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson eyes a third consecutive European 800m title in Birmingham, after a challenging outdoor season. Despite breaking the long-standing indoor world record and winning her first world title, Hodgkinson was forced to settle for second place outdoors at the Stockholm Diamond League behind younger rival Audrey Werro.

The 24-year-old has recovered from a muscle twinge and a nasty fall in training, which left her knees heavily bandaged. Hodgkinson remains optimistic, stating she feels in a good place and is excited to compete. She emphasizes her pride in her personal best and British record, and believes the presence of Werro and Femke Broeders-Bol will make the race particularly exciting.

Hodgkinson hopes to replicate her success at home and believes winning a gold medal in Birmingham would be as significant as winning Olympic gold in Paris.

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