Keely Hodgkinson pulls out of Zurich Diamond League 800m race citing fitness concerns

Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson confirmed she will skip the women's 800 metres at Thursday's Diamond League competition in Zurich, stating that her body has not fully recovered from the European Championships. She had been set to face Swiss runner Audrey Werro, who bested her for gold at the European meet earlier this month. Hodgkinson said the decision was made to preserve her condition for future races.

The Zurich race will still feature world 400m hurdles champion Femke Broeders-Bol, who has moved up to the 800m this season, and Hodgkinson's training partner Georgia Hunter-Bell, who captured Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow. Kenyan world champion Lilian Odira also pulled out after dealing with illness and weakness since the Commonwealth Games. Zurich hosts the second-to-last Diamond League meeting, with the season finale scheduled for Brussels in early September.