jasmine trapnell
sports journalist
Keeley Hodgkinson finally won world gold in the 800m after years of falling short. Georgia Hunter Bell also won her first world gold medal with an incredible run in the 1500 meters. Molly Caudalie won the pole vault to end prime time.
Last updated: 23/03/26 9:29am
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Keeley Hodgkinson gives a speech after winning gold in the 800m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships with a new championship record time.
Keeley Hodgkinson gives a speech after winning gold in the 800m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships with a new championship record time.
Keeley Hodgkinson put in a strong performance in Poland to win her first world title and gold medal in the indoor 800m.
The Briton was dominant from the moment he fired, storming down the final straight to set a new championship record in 1:55.30.
She had previously come close to gold at the World Championships, but fell short of silver in 2022 and 2023, and won bronze in 2025.
Georgia Hunter Bell (left), Molly Caudalie (center) and Hodgkinson (right) won the World Indoor Championships in just 30 minutes.
Hodgkinson’s victory capped off a monumental time for Great Britain, who had just won two more gold medals thanks to Georgia Hunter Bell in the 1500m and Molly Caudalie in the pole vault.
Winning three gold medals in just 30 minutes tripled Great Britain’s medal tally, finishing the weekend in second place with just four medals, all of them gold.
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Hodgkinson: “I want to conquer the world”
Hodgkinson’s performance capped off a dream individual indoor season following his indoor world record break in February.
This summer, she has her sights set on the European Championships in Birmingham, but she also revealed she is aiming to break track and field’s longest-standing world record, the women’s outdoor 800m.
Hodgkinson told Sky Sports News: “I’m incredibly happy with how this weekend went. Everything I imagined this whole indoor season has come true. I’ve been working on it week in and week out and life is very exciting right now.”
“I have worked very hard this winter and most importantly, I have continued training without interruption. I was able to do everything and I think it shows in my performance and confidence on the track.”
Hodgkinson finally wins world, Olympic and European gold medals
“It’s very rare as an athlete to be able to have no problems and no complaints in the back of your mind. I’m able to go into a race and be completely focused on the task at hand.”
“You have to take advantage of moments like that and that’s what we did. I’m a very happy girl and I’m very excited to build on this.”
“My word this year has been ‘domination.’ I want world domination and this is a great way to start. We’re having a very exciting summer with the European Championships and everything else.”
Hunter Bell and Caudalie also won gold medals.
Hunter Bell finally took home the crown after winning numerous silver and bronze world medals.
Hodgkinson’s training partner Hunter Bell also won gold for Great Britain on Sunday, winning the 1500m in the evening to claim his first world title.
She beat teammate Hodgkinson for silver in the 800m at last year’s world championships, winning in the world’s top time of 3:58.53 ahead of Australia’s Jessica Hull and American Nicky Hiltz.
Great Britain had an impressive Sunday in Poland, a day after Josh Kerr won gold in the men’s 3000m.
Hunter Bell said: “Josh really set the tone yesterday. I came to the stadium to watch him and was very impressed with how he handled that race.”
“I knew tonight was going to be my first race with a chance for a medal, and I’m the captain so I really wanted to bring home a medal.
“The momentum and the continuity was so cool. I remember watching Super Saturday at the Olympics and feeling so patriotic and energized. So it’s amazing that us girls were able to do it today.”
Molly Caudalie tore ligaments in her ankle while warming up for the Tokyo World Championships in September, an injury that could have ended her career.
Surprising GB athletes participating in the women’s 4x400m relay
In a twist no one expected, GB’s 4x400m team, featuring two of the country’s biggest stars in the sport in Hodgkinson and Dina Asher-Smith, finished fifth in the final.
Hodgkinson somehow got the energy back in his legs and ran two more laps to catch up with the top four, but there was too much to do and he crossed the line with two seconds left to medal.
Asher Smith, who competed in Saturday’s 60m final, had run the 400m but only rarely, while Hodgkinson ran the indoor 400m for the first time in four years earlier this month, fresh off a world record.
In the men’s 800m, after a breakout year in 2025, 17-year-old American Cooper Lutkenhuis took control of the race in 1:44.24 to become the youngest indoor world champion in history.
In the men’s long jump, reigning Olympic and world indoor champion Mattia Furlani was overtaken from the top spot by Portugal’s Gerson Balde in the final round with a jump of 8.46 meters after a thrilling competition.
The event was one of the best indoor men’s long jump events in history, with Bulgaria’s Vojidar Saraboyukov taking third place with 8.31m and Furlani second with 8.39m.
