Keely Hodgkinson becomes sixth fastest woman in history with stunning 800m win at pre-Olympic London Diamond League

Keely Hodgkinson ran an enormous private finest to win the London Diamond League and develop into the sixth quickest girls in historical past over 800m.

Hodgkinson’s time of 1:54.61 was additionally a British report and the very best time on the earth this yr, and cemented her standing as the ladies to beat on the Paris Olympic Video games, which open on Friday.

She led all through the race and streaked away from fellow Briton Jemma Reekie within the ultimate 100m, with Georgia Bell coming in third to finish a British one-two-three. Each Reekie and Bell additionally recorded private bests.

Hodgkinson glanced on the clock as she crossed the road and smothered her face together with her fingers in shock at her achievement.

“I felt actually good right this moment, I simply wished to go for it and see what was there,” she instructed the BBC. “It was just a little little bit of bravery and fearlessness with a terrific environment like this, I didn’t need to waste the chance.

“It’s so good once you’re strolling by way of and also you hear individuals shouting your identify. The Brits know tips on how to placed on an athletics meet, I want there have been extra on this nation as a result of it’s the very best crowd I’ve ever run in entrance of.

“I’m feeling actually good and assured forward of Paris. Clearly the principle purpose is simply to get to the ultimate first after which as soon as we’re there we will talk about getting medals.”

Matt Hudson-Smith set one other British report and one other world lead time as he gained the boys’s 400m in 43.74s, laying down an enormous marker forward of Paris.

“It was a tremendous crowd, it’s all the time good to carry out in entrance of them and it’s a terrific ship off,” Hudson-Smith mentioned. “It’s a very long time coming and I’m really wholesome. Now I’m placing in lots of work. The proof is within the pudding. I’m excited.”

Olympic favorite Noah Lyles got here from behind to comfortably win the boys’s 100m, after Dina Asher-Smith had completed third within the girls’s 200m, gained by the fast-finishing American Gabby Thomas.

Lyles has developed into the largest character in athletics and, having taken the 100m world title in Budapest final yr so as to add to a few, and an Olympic bronze, over the 200m, he’s changing into the person to beat within the blue riband occasion.

“That was enjoyable,” he mentioned after operating a private finest time of 9.81s. “I may have had a greater begin. I wished a quicker time however I had the wind.”

South African Akani Simbini took second in 9.86 and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo was third in 9.88 as the primary 5 broke 10 seconds.

Briton’s rising dash star Louie Hinchliffe completed fourth. “I’m not pleased with the consequence nevertheless it’s not dangerous, it wasn’t my worst run,” the 22-year-old mentioned. “I can work on the beginning, I appeared effectively out of it. Perhaps some nerves, it’s my first time right here. I’ve obtained some solution to go.”

Jamaica’s Nickisha Pryce additionally appeared very spectacular in operating a world-leading time of 48.57s to win the ladies’s 400m, whereas Femke Bol of the Netherlands simply gained the ladies’s 400m hurdles in 51.30s, cementing her standing as one other gold-medal contender in Paris.

The 24-year-old world champion, who gained bronze in Tokyo, dominated the race from the beginning and despatched a message to greatest rival Sydney McLaughlin because the pair put together to sq. off in one of the eagerly-anticipated Olympic showdowns.

Within the males’s 400m hurdles, Brazil’s former world champion Alison dos Santos gained in 47.18s, whereas Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri brought on a shock within the shot put, throwing 22.52m to beat heavy favorite Ryan Crouser of the USA.

Britain’s Molly Caudery completed third within the pole vault competitors, having gained world indoor gold earlier this yr. “I’m just a little bit disillusioned, I really feel prefer it was a misplaced alternative,” she mentioned. “I’m kicking myself. [But] it’s not the place the place it issues an excessive amount of and I’m wanting ahead to Paris.”