Keely Hodgkinson was tagged with a post by Kenyan Mary Moraa. Photo: Getty Images/Michael Steele
For brevity's sake In the moments that the «big three» of the women's 800m race made their final push to the finish line, the whole world opened up to Keely Hodgkinson. Ating Moo, the reigning champion and Olympian, hesitated, and a huge gaping hole appeared inside through which Hodgkinson could run. ready to turn silver into gold, Kenyan Mary Moraa outstripped them both.
So, in the fourth final in two years against two of her great rivals, Hodgkinson was a bridesmaid. Now she has beaten Mu and Moraa separately on the biggest stages, but never together.
There are sure to be many other opportunities – Hodgkinson, Moraa and Moo are all 21 to 23 years old – but this was the most painful defeat so far because it was her best chance.
Moraa's winning time (1 minute 56.03 seconds) was outside the personal best set by Hodgkinson in her first outdoor race of the season in early June, while Moo, who was in the lead from Hodgkinson, by contrast, could not put herself in more attractive position she simply did not have enough legs to overcome the grueling last 50 meters with evening temperatures still approaching 30C.
Only in March she turned 21, and it was still the seventh major international medal — there were already three. gold medals at the European level — even though Hodgkinson herself admitted that she believes that the moment for her breakthrough on the world stage has finally come.
“I really thought that I would pass from the inside — the line came faster than I thought,” she said.
“I'm not as disappointed as I thought. Constantly being on the same level with the best in the world is all I want from my career. Now I have three silvers [at the Olympics and the World Championships], so at some point I will get gold. It's just a matter of time.
“It's that tiny one percent. I will continue to strive for this. I don't think I was wrong — I gave my all … and this is a different order than last year. Who knows what will happen next year. One of these days I will take first place.”
It was Hodgkinson's third silver in the world competition Photo: AP/Petr David Josek 
Mary Moraa cannot hide her joy at winning gold in Budapest Photo: Reuters/Bernadette Szabo 
Again like this close for Hodgkinson Photo: Reuters/Fabrizio Bensch
There was also a well-thought-out attempt by Hodgkinson's teammate Gemma Rickey, who returned to fifth place to end a season that, after the turmoil of a coaching change, also promises a serious shot at an Olympic medal next year. year.
The British added bronze in the relay, even without Matthew Hudson-Smith, who won silver in the 400m individual but could barely even walk due to an Achilles tendon injury.
< p>Alex Haydock-Wilson, Charlie Dobson and Lewis Davey ran superbly to set up medal chances, but Rio Mitcham's superb ground stage was still needed to contain the Jamaican challenge. at the first World Championships since 1993, when a team of Sally Gunnell, Linford Christie and Colin Jackson left Stuttgart with three gold, three silver and four bronze medals.
This time there were two golds – from Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Josh Kerr – but it is a significant step up from the corresponding seven and five medals won at the last two championships in 2019 and 2022.< /p>
Notable for the absence from the women's 4x400m team is Victoria Ohruogu, Britain's fastest 400m runner this season.
Anyway, the team of Lavia Nielsen, Amber Anning, Ama Pipi and Nicole Yergin finished. just behind the Netherlands and Jamaica in a dramatic final sprint to the finish line.
Stephen Maguire, UK Technical Director, said the decision to eliminate Ouruoga was driven by the «duty of looking after» all the athletes on the relay team. «I'm quite comfortable where everything is,» he said.
Morgan Lake meanwhile finished fourth in the women's high jump with a reach of 1.97m, while Jakob Ingebrigtsen bounced back from a shock loss to Kerr . at a distance of 1500 meters among men, reaching the victory at a distance of 5000 meters among men.
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