National 800m champion Lilian Odira will be hoping to flip the script on Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson when the two clash at the World Championships in Tokyo, starting this Saturday.
It will be the third time Odira will be locking horns with the Briton on the global stage. Their first encounter took place at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Hodgkinson produced a commanding semifinal run, clocking 1:56.86 to secure her place in the final. South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso (1:57.57) and American Nia Akins (1:58.20) followed, while Odira missed the cut in fourth with 1:58.53.
Hodgkinson went on to claim her maiden Olympic crown in 1:56.72, with Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma (1:57.15) and world champion Mary Moraa (1:57.42) settling for silver and bronze respectively. Their paths crossed again on August 16 at the Silesia Diamond League, where Hodgkinson stormed to a world-leading 1:54.74. Odira, however, showed she is fast closing the gap, clocking a lifetime best of 1:56.52 to finish second.
Botswana’s Oratile Nowe clocked 1:56.76 to place third. Odira believes the women’s two-lap battle in Tokyo will be one of the fiercest in history, given the blistering times recorded this season. "Tokyo is going to be tough because when you look at 800m at the moment we have a 1:54, two 1:55's and 1:56," Odira said.
Hodgkinson tops the 2025 world list with her 1:54.74, followed by Switzerland’s Audrey Werro (1:55.91). Britain’s Georgia Bell (1:55.96) sits third with Odira in fourth (1:56.52).
The other women who have gone sub 1:57 this season include Duguma (1:56.64) in fifth place, Nowe (1:56.76) in sixth place, and seventh-placed Anais Bourgoin (1:56.97) of France. Despite the daunting task that awaits her in Tokyo, Odira insists she is unfazed.
"Everybody is ready and going to Tokyo to fight for a medal and represent their country, so we expect a very competitive championship, and I am ready for it," she added. Her confidence is buoyed by the nearly two-second improvement on her personal best, which she made in Silesia. "I am so motivated by the time I got to the Silesia Diamond League. I ran a PB of 1:56, and that really motivated me."
"It's a strong time, and it places me fourth so far in the whole world this season. I am motivated and ready to do better," Odira added. Odira's previous best was 1:58.53.She attributes the improvement to a refined training regime. "I have been working on my speed so far because I need a lot of endurance and a little bit of speed work and sharpening up on a few areas," she said.
For now, her focus is on navigating the rounds in Tokyo. "This is a championship, you can't talk about the time in Tokyo. I'll first run the heats, semis and finals and see what time I get. My main focus is making the finals because this is my debut. Once I get to the finals, I'll see what is possible," she added.
The women's 800m heats kick off on September 18, with the semi-finals set for the following day, before the finals set for the last day of the Championships on September 21. Her preparations for Tokyo are in full gear. "Training had been good. I have been focusing on my speed with my coach, she has been looking at all the races I take part in and noting down where I need to improve."
Odira knows this World Championships marks a major milestone in her career. "It feels so so nice to be heading to the World Championships. I can say I started my career last year, and it has been a smooth one, so I'm grateful."
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