The 31-year-old has chosen to solely focus on the 800m in Tokyo this month after an excellent season that has seen her climb to third in the world rankings.
The Londoner won Olympic bronze in the 1500m last summer, just three years after she returned to the sport having previously quit for a career in cyber security.
Meanwhile, world number one Hodgkinson became the queen of British athletics with a stunning 800m gold in Paris and later won Sports Personality of the Year.
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The confirmed @_Novuna GB & NI Team for the 2025 World Championships 👊#WCHTokyo25 pic.twitter.com/7N7y26mtaI
— British Athletics (@BritAthletics) September 1, 2025
“Yeah, every athlete will stand on the start line in that final believing that they can win,” Hunter Bell said.
“That’s just how it goes.
“We are good friends. We’re sharing out here at the prep camp in Miyazaki out of choice.
“Like, we put each other down as people to be roomies with, so we get along very well.
“I obviously respect her a lot as an athlete. I have raced her twice, both times she’s won and she’s obviously the best in the world and has been for quite some time in that event.”
Hodgkinson has only raced twice since winning Olympic gold, with two hamstring injuries keeping her sidelined.
Hunter Bell has cashed in with two Diamond League wins in Stockholm and London and has chosen to prioritise the shorter event.
Hodgkinson returned from a 376-day lay-off to win two Diamond League meetings of her own last month, and set the ninth fastest time in history in Lausanne.
She has also beaten Hunter Bell in their two head-to-head meetings so far but the prospect of a British 1-2 is very real, and Hunter Bell – who trains with Hodgkinson in Manchester – insists they will remain friends regardless of the outcome.
“I just see that as such a positive, positive for training, a positive for us to go into it in this really unique opportunity for our team and for Great Britain,” she said.
“We are just being very supportive and empowered to be in this position.”
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