United Kingdom: Hodgkinson Targets Third Straight Euro 800M Gold on Home Soil

Olympic champion Hodgkinson, 24, is targeting a third straight European 800m title and says winning on home soil would "mean just as much to me as winning [Olympic gold] in Paris. Hodgkinson has had much to celebrate in 2026, including breaking the indoor 800m world record, winning her first world title and improving her British record outdoors. However, she was forced to settle for second behind Audrey Werro at the Stockholm Diamond League after the 22-year-old Swiss ran the fastest time since the outdoor world record was set 43 years ago.

A muscle "twinge forced Hodgkinson's withdrawal from the 400m final at the British Championships in June, and she finished second to world champion Lilian Odira in Eugene with heavily bandaged knees after a fall in training. The presence of Femke Broeders-Bol — the Dutch two-time world 400m hurdles champion who has switched events this season — makes Friday night's women's 800m the must-watch event of the championships.