Keely Hodgkinson Discovers Hamstring 'Abnormality' After Injury Scare

Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson has revealed that an MRI scan following a recent injury scare has uncovered a unique physiological 'abnormality' in her hamstring. The 24-year-old discovered she possesses a split hamstring, with two tendons where most individuals have a single one. This condition was identified after she sustained another hamstring tear at the European Championships.

Hodgkinson explained that she has two tendons in the affected area, a trait she believes she was born with. "My body is quite literally built different," she stated. "I have two tendons where the tendon tore (last year). So where everyone has one tendon, mine is split, so I have two."

This anatomical difference presents both potential advantages and disadvantages. "As a pro, it means that when one is down, I can still run on the other one that works," Hodgkinson said. "But as a con, maybe it’s slightly weaker than the other one that’s attached."

Despite the discovery, Hodgkinson has continued to run and train, although she has had to modify her approach. She has consciously reduced speed work, which she identifies as the riskiest activity for her condition, and has focused more on strength training. "I haven’t missed any training over the last three weeks," she noted. "I’ve just had to alter my approach, take my foot off the speed because that’s when it’s most risky, and go at it from a strength perspective."

Hodgkinson acknowledged that the mental aspect of managing the injury has been significant. "It feels good. I’ve not really felt anything for, like, two weeks now. It’s more the mental side. You’re very hyper-aware, like, 'Oh, is that something? Is it not? Do I trust my body to go again?'"

This latest injury concern follows a period of disruption for the Olympic champion. A previous hamstring problem in February sidelined her for over a year. Upon her return in August 2025, she quickly regained form, winning Diamond League races and breaking the world indoor 800m record in February before securing World Indoor gold. However, her outdoor season has faced challenges, including being beaten multiple times by Switzerland's Audrey Werro.

Hodgkinson also mentioned a recent fall while jogging, which resulted in cuts to her knees and a jarring impact to her back. While she conceded this incident might have contributed to her hamstring issue, forcing her to miss Diamond League meetings, she emphasized that she is not using it as an excuse for her performances.

"Going into the Europeans, I thought I was in the best shape ever. But when I fell over, that kind of messed me up way more than I thought it did. I think that's what contributed to my hamstring, because I couldn't really use my quad for a while," she explained.

Hodgkinson is scheduled to conclude her season on Friday night in London at Athlos, an all-female competition founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.