ICYMI: Hodgkinson makes winning start to world title bidpublished at 12:52 BST 19 September
Harry Poole
BBC Sport in Tokyo
Great Britain’s Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson began her pursuit of a first world title by cruising through to the semi-finals of the women’s 800m in Tokyo.
Hodgkinson is the gold-medal favourite after running a world-leading time on her return to action in August, despite enduring a 376-day wait to make her competitive return following last summer’s Games.
Two hamstring tears later, she secured back-to-back wins in her only two pre-championship races in August.
Returning to the stadium where she won Olympic silver as a teenager four years ago, the 23-year-old controlled her heat to reach Friday’s semi-finals.
There, she will be joined by training partner Georgia Hunter Bell as the pair target a spectacular British one-two in the event.