It’s within the French capital the place Hodgkinson will once more battle rivals Athing Mu and Mary Moraa in pursuit of an elusive international gold.
It was Mu, 21, who beat the Briton to Olympic gold in Tokyo, after which pipped her to the world title by 0.08 seconds in 2022. When Hodgkinson eventually obtained the higher of the American eventually 12 months’s worlds, she suffered a repeat of her Commonwealth Video games loss to 23-year-old Kenyan Moraa.
Earlier than Paris, Hodgkinson will intention to make an early assertion when the ‘huge three’ of the ladies’s 800m go head-to-head on the Prefontaine Traditional, which doubles because the Eugene Diamond League, reside on BBC Three from 21:00 BST on Saturday.
“Sadly, I have been second each time. However we’ll attempt to change that,” says Hodgkinson.
“I feel it is a good rivalry. It is fairly thrilling for us all as a result of we’re all so younger, we’re all actually proficient, we work laborious and all of us really need it.
“We do not race one another that usually so, after we do, it is a huge event.”
Whereas that showdown shall be Hodgkinson’s first 800m of the season, she hinted final week on the progress she has revamped the winter by setting a brand new 400m private better of 51.61 seconds.
Usually left floored by the gruelling periods she has been put by means of by coaches Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows in pursuit of her objective all through heat climate coaching in South Africa, Hodgkinson’s streak of silvers have solely intensified her dedication to have a good time a gold on the Stade de France on 5 August.
“I really feel like I’ve actually grown up and I’ve lots of expertise now. I’m actually excited,” Hodgkinson says.
“I’ve spent three years looking for these little tiny one per cents. I’ve skilled a lot tougher than I did three years in the past and I simply hope that it is sufficient.
“All I can do is give it my all. It might imply quite a bit if that [dream of winning gold] was to return true.”
