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Hodgkinson picked up the pace, leaping into second place, and then as the race entered the final 500 meters of the straight, she made a subtle but decisive sprint to the front. She was certain that she would not make the same mistake that had caused her to lose to Mora last year only after she had given up the opportunity to sprint forward. Hodgkinson led the team at the bell with a time of 58.3 seconds, and she finished the race exactly as she wanted.
Take control
As Hodgkinson entered the final lap of her life, a high-speed game of poker ensued. The pre-race plan now involved a non-negotiable strategy of never giving up the lead again, but in order to maximize her chances of taking it, Hodgkinson couldn’t strike out too fast.
Two relatively fast races in the previous three days would have taken their toll on her legs, so what followed was a masterclass in controlled lead running, reminiscent of how Sebastian Coe handled the challenge of Steve Crum in the 1984 Olympic 1500m final.
Mora accelerated to her shoulder as expected on the back straight, but Hodgkinson sensed her presence and responded again with a subtle change of speed. She also had the racing skill to simply move to the middle of the lane, forcing Mora to go further but leaving no gap for Duguma to surprise on the inside.
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