Despite the absence of star attraction Keely Hodgkinson, the event still lived up to its billing with spectacular performances.
The inaugural Keely Klassic, held in Birmingham on Saturday, February 15, delivered a thrilling spectacle of high-level athletics, with British records falling in both the women’s 300m and men’s 1000m events.
Despite the absence of event namesake and Olympic gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson due to a late withdrawal, the competition remained fierce, with athletes seizing the opportunity to etch their names in the record books.
Lina Nielsen was the first to rewrite history, blazing to victory in the women’s 300m with a time of 36.53 seconds. In doing so, she shattered Dina Asher-Smith’s national mark of 36.77.
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Emily Newnham followed closely in 36.88, while Ama Pipi secured third place in 37.22.
The men’s 1000m saw another British record fall, as Neil Gourley clocked 2:16.74 to surpass Charlie Grice’s previous UK indoor record of 2:17.20.
However, Gourley was ultimately outpaced in the final lap by Samuel Chapple, who not only took the win in 2:16.09 but also erased Rob Druppers’ long-standing Dutch record.
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Chapple surged ahead, leaving Gourley in second place. Alex Botterill finished third in 2:17.25.
The women’s 1500m event nearly produced another British record, as Georgia Bell came agonizingly close to surpassing Laura Muir’s UK indoor record of 3:59.58.
Fresh off her victory in the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games a week prior, Bell set a blistering pace, following the pacemaker through before taking the lead alongside Sarah Healy.
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Bell ultimately crossed the finish line in 4:00.63, narrowly missing Muir’s record. Healy, meanwhile, set a new Irish record with her impressive time of 4:01.62.
While Hodgkinson’s absence was a disappointment to fans, the inaugural Keely Klassic still lived up to expectations, delivering breathtaking performances and rewriting the history books.
The event’s success sets the stage for future editions, with anticipation already building for what’s to come next year.
