To sharpen her speed Keely Hodgkinson chose to run the 400 metres at
the 2026 UK Championships in Birmingham. She is pictured above running
in her heat, in which she came second in 51.52. At the the Rome Diamond
League, days earlier, she ran a PB of 51.14. Keely lined up for the final in
Birmingham and as is the custom ran quick last minute 'bend' of the track.
Below are images of the that moment. A different outfit to her heat but...
But as the runners were called to their blocks Keeley withdrew from the final.
I wasn't feeling 100% standing on the start line, so I made the tough decision to step away and not race.
I didn't want to risk anything ahead of this summer."
Hodgkinson's coach, Jenny Meadows, explaining the star withdrew because she "felt a little twinge in her
last strides before the race". Does her face above indicate her concerns about running the final ?