KEELY HODGKINSON WINS ATHLOS 800M IN LONDON DEBUT

Keely Hodgkinson won the 800 metres at the Athlos meet's London debut, held at StoneX Stadium, crossing the line in one minute 56.40 seconds. She finished well clear of Switzerland's Valentina Rosamilia, who took second in 1:58.75. Hodgkinson wore a custom-made all-black speed suit developed with Nike, featuring an open back, a hooded ponytail opening and colour-changing 3D-printed panels designed to reduce drag. She was presented with a silver crown from Tiffany & Co, the trophy Athlos gives winners instead of medals. It was her first victory since the London Diamond League in July.

Athlos was created by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, and the London meet was its first staged outside New York. The single-night event featured seven disciplines, each with six athletes, drawn from a prize pot of around $1.05m (£790,500), with $65,000 (£48,500) going to each individual winner. American sprinters Gabby Thomas and Sha'Carri Richardson were among the other champions. Hodgkinson's training partner, Georgia Hunter Bell, was beaten in the mile by Poland's Klaudia Kazimierska. Serena Williams, Ohanian's wife, attended trackside with the couple's two daughters.

Organisers said the event, held at a sellout StoneX Stadium, began with a red-carpet arrival for the athletes. Hodgkinson said the suit was "a project we have been working on with Nike for a long time" and called Athlos "a perfect place to bring it out". Hunter Bell said the design was "a big statement piece" she expected to become common by the 2028 Olympics. Hodgkinson said she "wasn't expecting such a warm welcome" from the crowd. The meet combined athletics with fashion and music, including a trackside DJ, reflecting what organisers describe as a digital-first approach.