Keely Hodgkinson targets Jarmila Kratochvilova’s 41-year 800m world record

James Okafor | GlobalBeat

Keely Hodgkinson announced she will attempt to break the longest-standing athletics world record at 22.

The 800-meter mark of 1:53.28 set by Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova has stood since 1983.

Hodgkinson’s personal best is 1:54.61 run in Monaco in July 2023. The 22-year-old Briton told reporters on Tuesday she believes the record is within reach.

Kratochvilova’s time has survived 41 years of competition. No woman has run within 1.3 seconds since its establishment. The record predates widespread out-of-competition drug testing introduced by World Athletics.

British Athletics confirmed Hodgkinson’s training focus has shifted. The federation said Tuesday her coaching team studied split times from every 800-meter world record attempt since 1980.

Athletics statistician Mirko Jalava analyzed the gap. Jalava said five athletes have run under 1:55 since 2020, creating the deepest talent pool in decades. Data from World Athletics shows average improvement of 0.8 seconds per season for athletes aged 20-24.

Hodgkinson’s coach Trevor Painter designed specific workouts. Painter told Sky Sports they target negative splits with 400-meter segments under 55 seconds. Video analysis reveals her final 200-meter segment averages 27.4 seconds, 0.3 seconds faster than Kratochvilova’s recorded splits.

The announcement came days after Hodgkinson won world indoor gold in Glasgow. She defeated American Athing Mu by 0.44 seconds. The victory established her as Olympic favorite for Paris 2024.

UK Athletics performance director Sara Symington outlined the plan. Symington said Hodgkinson will race six 800-meter events before the Olympic Games. Three attempts will target record conditions at altitude venues in Eugene, Oslo, and Monaco.

Drug testing protocols accompanied the announcement. British Athletics confirmed Hodgkinson has submitted to 14 tests in the past 12 months. All results returned negative, according to UK Anti-Doping records released Tuesday.

Global competition has intensified. Eight women ran under 1:56 in 2023, a record for single-season depth. Kenyan Mary Moraa improved to 1:56.03 at the World Championships. American Nia Akins recorded 1:55.52 in Zurich.

Hodgkinson’s sponsor announced matching incentives. Nike confirmed a $100,000 bonus for breaking the world record. The company will donate $50,000 to grassroots athletics programs if successful, according to a brand spokesperson who declined to be named.

Background

Kratochvilova set the record at age 32 during the 1983 European Cup in Helsinki. The Czech athlete completed the first lap in 55.9 seconds. Her second lap of 57.3 seconds created a mark many experts deemed untouchable.

The record emerged during an era of state-sponsored athletics programs. East German and Soviet athletes dominated middle-distance events throughout the 1980s. Drug testing protocols remained limited compared to modern standards.

Hodgkinson burst onto the scene as a teenager. She won Olympic silver at age 19 at Tokyo 2020. The athlete trains in Loughborough while studying criminology at Leeds Beckett University.

What’s Next

Hodgkinson’s record attempt begins May 25 at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene. She will face Mu, Moraa, and Akins in the same race. British Athletics officials said perfect conditions require temperatures between 18-22 degrees Celsius and maximum wind assistance of 2.0 meters per second.

The record attempt carries broader implications for athletics credibility. A successful challenge would end debate over the legitimacy of marks set before modern testing. World Athletics president Sebastian Coe told reporters every clean record validated the sport’s anti-doping efforts.