Kelly Hodgkinson is aiming to set a world record in the 800m after a national best

Kelly Hodgkinson says she is aiming to set a new world record after breaking the British 800m record at the UK Athletics Indoor Championships in Birmingham.

The 23-year-old, who will win Olympic gold in 2024, clocked 1:56.33 minutes in qualifying on Saturday to beat her own national record by nearly one second.

This was the fastest time in the women’s indoor 800 meters in 24 years and the third fastest in history.

After previously announcing that she would not participate in Sunday’s final because she was scheduled to race in France on Thursday, Hodgkinson described the race as a “personal challenge.”

The event in the Midlands counts towards athletes qualifying for the World Indoor Championships in Poland from March 20-22.

“I had to come to qualify for the World Championships, and that’s why I only participated in one round,” she said.

“But it was a good test. It’s been three years since I’ve run indoors, so I knew I had to get out there and stay focused.”

“We weren’t aiming for the world lead, but I started well and kept going. It was a nice surprise. It was a really strong day.”