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Keely Hodgkinson believes European 800m will be ‘race of the championships’

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Keely Hodgkinson expects her hotly-anticipated European title showdown with new nemesis Audrey Werro will make the women’s 800 metres the “race of the championships” in Birmingham.

The British Olympic gold medallist was beaten by the Swiss athlete in Stockholm in June, where Werro went third on the all-time list before running even faster three weeks later in Paris to enter this week’s European Athletics Championships with a world-leading one minute, 53.80 seconds.

Both women have declared their intent to take down Jarmila Kratochvilova’s 43-year-old world record, while the Netherlands’ Femke Broeders-Bol, one of the greatest 400m hurdlers, has also splashed into the 800m waters and holds the third-fastest time this season.

“We’ve spoken about (what they might do) a little bit,” said Hodgkinson. “Obviously I need to get through the rounds and just be in that final, but ultimately I’ll just focus on what I can do best and control my race.

“I don’t know what anyone else is going to do, but I think it’s going to be the race of the championships. I think it’s going to be really fun, so I’m excited.”

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All four of the world’s top women at 800m this year are European. French record-holder Anais Bourgoin rounds out the quartet of Birmingham competitors who have dipped below one minute, 56 seconds.

The only other woman to do so this year, Hodgkinson’s training partner Georgia Hunter Bell, is focusing on the 1500m, the same distance at which she is an Olympic bronze medallist.

Hodgkinson expects the 800m to be the race of the European championships (Adam Davy/PA)
Hodgkinson expects the 800m to be the race of the European championships (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)

Hodgkinson insists defending her European title for a second time would mean “just as much to me, almost, as winning in Paris (at the Olympics)”, because it would be a first on home soil.

She “hasn’t spent too much time” with Werro, though Hodgkinson admits the 22-year-old took her by surprise in Stockholm.

“I don’t really think I did anything wrong in that race,” the 24-year-old insisted.

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“I didn’t know what she was capable of at that point. I think that just shows you like you can’t underestimate anybody. If you look at all our other head-to-heads, you wouldn’t have thought she was going to hang on.

Audrey Werro is set to be one of Hodgkinson’s main rivals in Birmingham (Miek Egerton/PA)
Audrey Werro is set to be one of Hodgkinson’s main rivals in Birmingham (Miek Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)

“I think that’s where I was at that point in the season. It was my opening race. I think people are trying to make me feel like it was a failure and it really wasn’t. That was a British record. It was my fastest time ever and I’m going to remind myself of that because I’m proud of that.”

Hodgkinson, who has worked through a few fitness concerns already this season, still has her fair share of online critics.

They can be cruel, wrong, and sometimes downright bizarre.

It was never in Hodgkinson’s plans to compete at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, where Hunter Bell claimed the 800m title.

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Yet Hodgkinson revealed: “Me and Georgia were laughing the other day because we saw a TikTok, and it was like ‘Georgia Bell pays Keely £200k to not do the Commonwealth Games.

“I thought, ‘well, I didn’t get that money so where the f***’s it going’. People make up stuff. We just laugh about it. But it’s a strange world we live in sometimes.”

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Former PGA Tour player Matt McQuillan dies at 45 in Kingston, Ontario

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Former PGA Tour player Matt McQuillan has died at 45 years old.

The Canadian from Kingston, Ontario, died on Aug. 5 “surrounded by his family,” according to an obituary published in the Kingston Whig-Standard newspaper.

McQuillan earned a scholarship to play collegiately at Oklahoma State, where he began his college career in 2000 before later transferring to the University of Georgia. He turned professional in 2003 and ultimately played in 32 PGA Tour events, making the cut in nine of those starts.

Matt McQuillan of Canada

Matt McQuillan of Canada in action during the third round of the McGladrey Classic at Sea Island’s Seaside Course on October 15, 2011 in Sea Island, Georgia. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

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McQuillan’s best finish on Tour came in 2011 when he finished T-3 at the John Deere Classic, which came in large part due to an impressive final round 64. He tied for third alongside two-time major champion Zach Johnson.

His most recent appearance in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event came on the PGA Tour Canada circuit in September 2016.

Matt McQuillan

Matt McQuillan of Canada hits his third shot on the sixth hole during the second round of The Greenbrier Classic at The Old White TPC on July 29, 2011 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) (Hunter Martin/Getty Images)

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According to the PGA Tour, McQuillan stayed connected in the game as a teaching professional in his hometown and introduced the game to the next generation of players across Canada.

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Matt McQuillan of Canada

Matt McQuillan of Canada celebrates his par to finish two under for the day during round one of the RBC Canadian Open at the Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club on July 21, 2011 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) (Harry How/Getty Images)

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“Matty was a respected golfer, devoted son, hilarious brother, and friend. His father, Mark, started teaching him how to swing the club at the young age of ten and his passion and talent grew immensely,” the Whig-Standard obituary reads.

“Starting as a junior on the Canadian Tour and making it to the PGA in 2011, Matt developed lifelong friendships while mentoring anyone who loved the game of golf. There will be a celebration of life held at the ANAF at a later date to be determined and announced by family. He will be deeply missed by many and his spirit, love and compassion will be remembered every day. Rest easy, Matty. We love you.”

McQuillan earned just under $604,000 during his PGA Tour career.

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“They like seeing us run good”

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Carson Hocevar is in the middle of a breakthrough NASCAR Cup Series season. The Spire Motorsports driver will enter Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350 fifth in the Cup standings, sitting ahead of all Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) cars.

Hocevar took his first Cup Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway in April. He beat Chris Buescher by 0.114 seconds in a three-lap shootout to get his first series win in his 91st start. He also won his second pole of the 2026 Cup season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and led 31 laps before finishing ninth.

Ahead of qualifying for the NASCAR Cup race at Iowa Speedway, the 23-year-old broke down Spire’s close technical relationship with HMS.

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“Hendrick and engine shop and everything they like seeing us run really good. I know Mr. H does it because he likes to see seven cars rather than just four and have shots,” Carson Hocevar said.

“They look at it like a seven car deal because of the close alliance and everything that they just get more shots to hopefully win races because it has Hendrick engines in it, Hendrick pit crews, and people he employs are on those cars. And obviously, Jeff’s like a son to him per se.”

Carson Hocevar is ahead of all four HMS drivers, including Chase Elliott, who sits sixth in the standings. Kyle Larson is eighth, William Byron 12th and Alex Bowman 29th.


“A live look at what me and my friends think is funny” – Carson Hocevar on his hour-long posting spree

Carson Hocevar (77) on the pit wall during qualifying for the Brickyard 400. - Source: ImagnCarson Hocevar (77) on the pit wall during qualifying for the Brickyard 400. - Source: Imagn
Carson Hocevar (77) on the pit wall during qualifying for the Brickyard 400. – Source: Imagn

Earlier in the week, Carson Hocevar was busy sharing multiple random thoughts. He also claimed that he lost a bet and had to tweet every 30 seconds.

On Saturday, the No. 77 driver said the mass posting spree was not part of any serious social media strategy. He was bored and having fun with his friends.

“Just started tweeting for an hour of how it used to be in the old Twitter. We had like Ratatouille up and we were making Ratatouille bits, and so I just started live-tweeting. You just basically got a live look at what me and my friends think is funny for an hour,” Hocevar said.

Meanwhile, Hocevar posted a 23.655-second lap around the 7/8-mile Iowa Speedway and qualified 18th. Hendrick Motorsports’ Larson qualified second, Byron 19th, Bowman 30th and Elliott 32nd.

The Iowa Corn 350 is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET on the USA Network.

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