Hodgkinson and Hunter Bell go head-to-head in Lausanne

Lausanne Diamond League

Switzerland’s Lausanne Date: Wednesday, August 20

On Wednesday, Keely Hodgkinson’s final planned race before the World Championships in March will be against training partner Georgia Hunter Bell at the Lausanne Diamond League.

Hodgkinson made a 376-day wait to compete in Silesia, Poland on Saturday after a season that was ruined by injury.

The 23-year-old made an emphatic announcement about her return by clocking one minute, 54.74 seconds, which is the fastest time since 2025, the ninth-fastest time in history, and just 0.13 seconds short of her British record.

She competes for the final time in Switzerland alongside Olympic 1500m bronze medalist Hunter Bell, who is aiming to win another podium in Tokyo.

Hunter Bell, who won the 1500m in Silesia last week and placed third overall, will look for his third Diamond League 800m victory this year after claiming victories in Stockholm and London.

Four weeks before the World Championships, Hodgkinson made her eagerly awaited return to competition after recovering from a hamstring injury sustained in February.

Hodgkinson stated before the race last week, “It’s been a frustrating year.” It has definitely been a little upsetting at times. However, it makes the good times even more enjoyable and makes the present even better.

Hunter Bell, a friend of Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, has made significant progress in the 800-meter race in her first year as a full-time athlete, but she is unsure which event to prioritize.

Her 800-meter season best time of 1: 56.74 is second in the Lausanne line-up and fourth-fastest this year, but it is only two seconds slower than Hodgkinson’s new world-lead.

In Lausanne, Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita compete against American Noah Lyles in the men’s 100m, and Zharnel Hughes and Noah Lyles compete against one another in the women’s 200m.

All times BST

As Olympic athletes prepare for their 16th season of competition, they are currently in the process of winning the Diamond League.

In a bid to advance to the Zurich finals in August, athletes compete for points in 32 different disciplines.

The World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan will begin just over a fortnight before that.

The BBC will broadcast all of the Diamond League’s activities for the following five years in accordance with the broadcasting agreement.

The Diamond League must compete for athletes’ attention for the first time with Michael Johnson’s new Grand Slam Track.

However, there has only been one direct conflict between the two competitions, which will take place on May 2 and 3 at the same time as the Keqiao, China meet.

The Diamond League has increased its prize money across the series to total $9.24 million (£6.95 million).

The 14 regular series meetings, which started in April and continue through August, pit athletes against one another for points.

On a scale of eight to one for the eighth place, points are given.

The top six athletes in the field events, the top eight in the track events, and the top 10 in the distances from 1500m upwards, are eligible for the finals after the 14th meeting in Brussels.

Xiamen, China, April 26

China’s Keqiao on May 3rd.

Doha, Qatar, May 16

Rabat, Morocco, on May 25,

Rome, Italy, on June 6,

Oslo, Norway, June 12

Stockholm, Sweden, on June 15,

Paris, France, June 20,

Eugene, USA, on July 5, 2005

Monaco, 11-07

London, England, on July 19,

Silesia, Poland, on August 16th.

Lausanne, Switzerland, on August 20,

Brussels, Belgium, August 22