Photo via BBC Sport

'Built differently' - Hodgkinson reveals hamstring abnormality

Keely Hodgkinson has disclosed that medical imaging detected an unusual structural split in her hamstring, meaning she possesses a pair of tendons rather than the usual single attachment. While this anatomical quirk enabled the 24-year-old middle-distance runner to keep competing despite tearing tissue, it may elevate her vulnerability to physical setbacks.

The Olympic 800-meter gold medalist from the Paris 2024 Games has navigated a difficult span featuring over a year sidelined after an initial February tear, though she rebounded in 2025 with consecutive Diamond League triumphs and then secured both an indoor world record and a World Indoor title early in 2026.

Her outdoor campaign encountered further hurdles, including a bizarre canal-side tumble during warm-down training that inflicted back jarring and knee abrasions, which she believes compromised her quadriceps and triggered another hamstring tear at the European Championships in Birmingham. This physical strain contributed to three outdoor losses against Switzerland's Audrey Werro, including forfeiting her European crown and settling for runner-up behind the 22-year-old at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.

Forced to skip Diamond League events in Zurich and Brussels while curbing high-speed workouts to manage the condition, Hodgkinson plans to finish her 2026 competitive year in London at the Ath event.