Keely Hodgkinson has to settle for another silver medal as Mary Moraa wins 800m
Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson was forced to settle for another World Championships silver.
The 21-year-old was beaten to 800 metres gold by Kenya’s Mary Moraa in Budapest just 13 months after she also finished second in Eugene.
Hodgkinson clocked one minute 56.34 seconds with defending champion Athing Mu in third and GB’s Jemma Reekie fifth.
SILVER for Keely🥈
It's another World medal for @keelyhodgkinson who finishes in second place 👏#WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/Vuvcclmsw5
— British Athletics (@BritAthletics) August 27, 2023
Hodgkinson had been beaten into silver by Mu at last year’s World Championships before Moraa took gold at the Commonwealth Games ahead of her.
Before the final, the Olympic silver medallist admitted she owed them both but was unable to beat Moraa despite overhauling Mu in the final 50m on Sunday night.
Hodgkinson said afterwards: “To be consistently up with the best in the world is all I want from my career. [It is] another podium, another medal so that is definitely a positive but I did think I was going to come through on the inside. The line just came quicker than I thought it would.
“I gave it my all, like I always do. I don’t think I put a foot wrong. Another silver – it’s not bronze, it’s not gold – we’re still on the podium.
“I do love it. I was really looking forward to today. I was really up for it. I really did believe I was going to win again – you’ve got to believe, that is half the battle.
“It is a different order to last year, who knows what order it will be next year? One of these days I will get the top spot, today was just not meant to be.
Looking ahead to Paris, she added: “Olympic year – everyone brings even more of their A game than they usually do.
“There is no stone left unturned. Like I say, we’ll aim for gold again and see what happens.”