KEELY HODGKINSON insisted she has nothing to prove after kicking off her quest for a hat-trick of successive European titles with a breezy victory in her opening 800m heat in Birmingham today.

Hodgkinson safely reached tomorrow’s semi-finals, winning her heat in a comfortable 1:57.28, the fastest time across all the heats.

The Briton’s showdown with Swiss rival Audrey Werro – the odds-on favourite who went third on the all-time list in June – has been billed as the race of these championships, but Hodgkinson is taking it all in her stride.

“I don’t think I need to put out any kind of statement,” she said. “I back myself, I don’t need to go crazy trying to prove anything. That will come in the final, hopefully, when it really matters.

“Happy to do that, happy to be in shape and healthy, most importantly. I’m just ready.”

The last time Hodgkinson raced at the Alexander Stadium – at the British trials in June – did not end the way the 24-year-old wanted, tearfully pulling out of the 400m final with hamstring tightness.

She had laid out her aim to break the 43-year-old world record at the London Diamond League meet a few weeks later, but a freak fall in a training session before the Prefontaine Classic resulted in severe scrapes to both knees and different expectations for London.

Werro’s journey, in contrast, has been both smooth and expedient. Hodgkinson lowered her own British record at her injury-delayed June season-opener in Stockholm, but she was still shocked by Werro, who posted the fastest time in four decades of the women’s 800m.

The 22-year-old Swiss athlete was faster still in Paris, crossing the line in one minute, 53.80 seconds. With Dutch hurdling great Femke Broeders-Bol also in the mix, Hodgkinson has plenty of hungry competition in Birmingham.

Asked what it would mean to beat Hodgkinson at her home championships, Werro said: “I think it’s not changed a lot of things. It’s always like all other championships, and it’s true that there are a lot of people here for her, but I think there are also a lot of Swiss people, so it’s a bit of a balance. I am expecting great things.”

This is the first time an outdoor European championships has been held in Britain, and social media was rife with concern about attendances on opening day, where attendance averaged around just over 13,200 in each session.

Some have pointed to ticket pricing as to why the 23,000-capacity Alexander Stadium stands looked somewhat sparse.

But the competition’s organisers said in a statement this morning: “Birmingham 2026 is delighted with ticket sales for the Championships, which have far surpassed our targets. Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening sessions are approaching sell-out, with several other sessions close to capacity.”