Keely Hodgkinson Stays Patient to Beat Mary Moraa

Brit underlines her status as world number 1 with 1:55.78 at Prefontaine Classic

25th May 2024

Keely Hodgkinson has been here before. Since her wild ride as a 19-year-old to the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, she has gone into the last two major Championships as the fastest women in the world, only to be pipped at the final hurdle by one of her two great rivals, Athing Mu and Mary Moraa. With this victory in the Prefontaine Classic however, it seems something has changed.

“I knew I was in this kind of shape coming into it, but it doesn't really matter when you're racing these girls - it's all about what they're going to do, what are you going to do... I just learned to enjoy it.” Hodgkinson said afterwards. “I think that's a bit part of it and I just can't wait to keep coming out here, producing good times, producing good races and just being consistent. And I think that final in Paris is going to be insane.”

This new relaxed attitude certainly appears to be paying off. Moraa had looked unstoppable at last year’s World Championships, going out hard in the first lap but still retaining enough to kick away from the field in the last 200m. But this time, Hodgkinson stayed patient, didn’t get sucked into a crazy fast first lap, and then came through strongly to pass Moraa with 150m to go and power away to the win.

It underlines the fact that she is in the form of her life, and adding all the tools she needs to be considered the favourite when the Olympics roll around in August. She recently set a personal best in the 400m, running 51.64 in Savona, Italy on 15th May, and that top speed certainly seems to have helped her stay strong in the finale here. Mu was a no-show, caveating Hodgkinson’s victory slightly, but based on the results of the last two years, it is Moraa who is the biggest threat, and Hodgkinson proved she can get the better of her come Paris.

The British again underlined their depth in the middle-distance events with Jemma Reekie looking strong around the final bend to finish third in 1:57.45, suggesting she might still have a chance of making an Olympic podium, a chance that seemed to have gone when she was usurped by Hodgkinson in Tokyo. Cat Bisset also ran well to open her season in 1:58.18, suggesting that she could progress to be a genuine threat in the final in Paris.

Results

1. Keely HODGKINSON GBR 1:55.78

2. Mary MORAA KEN 1:56.71

3. Jemma REEKIE GBR 1:57.45

4. Nia AKINS USA 1:57.98

5. Halimah NAKAAYI UGA 1:58.18

6. Catriona BISSET AUS 1:58.44

7. Sage HURTA-KLECKER USA 1:58.48

8. Tsige DUGUMA ETH 1:58.70

9. Natoya GOULE-TOPPIN JAM 1:59.92

10. Worknesh MESELE ETH 2:01.53

Kaylin WHITNEY USA DNF