Keely Hodgkinson Dominates 800m Semifinal

Keely Hodgkinson, the defending champion, easily secured her spot in the women’s 800m final at the European Athletics Championships in Rome with a time of 1:58.07, the fastest-ever in the event’s semi-finals. However, despite Hodgkinson’s success, her teammates Erin Wallace and Alex Bell faced disappointment as they failed to qualify for the final. This setback highlighted the mixed outcomes for the British team in the championships.

Keely Hodgkinson, a two-time world and Tokyo Olympic silver medalist expressed feeling comfortable with her pace despite the early race time. She mentioned that some competitors achieved personal bests, appreciating the support from her fellow athletes. In the women’s 4x100m relay, the British team of Asha Philip, Amy Hunt, Dina Asher-Smith and Desiree Henry advanced to the final with the fastest time of 42.25 seconds.

However, the men’s team failed to qualify for the final after finishing last in their heat. Richard Kilty, a member of the men’s team, expressed disappointment with their performance, citing unexpected slowness. Despite the setback, the British men’s 4x400m relay team consisting of Lewis Davey, Michael Ohioze, Toby Harries and Charlie Carvell, won their heat, setting them up to defend Great Britain’s 2022 European gold.