\n<\/p>\n
On the high-quality field, Hodgkinson said: “When I saw the line-up it was the perfect motivation that I needed for the next six weeks. Having not competed in so long it almost seems so far away.<\/p>\n
“Now I’ve got that extra motivator of who is going to be there. It is going to be a hard race, we want to come out on top, so we’re working really hard towards that and the races to follow after that. <\/p>\n
“It’s not going to be easy, it never is, but I’m looking forward to it.”<\/p>\n
Hodgkinson was injured in February<\/a> during her final training session before the Keely Klassic, a new athletics event in Birmingham which she founded.<\/p>\n She said it had taken “a lot of time and patience” to let her hamstring recover properly, but there have been “no setbacks” since.<\/p>\n Her primary aim this season remains winning gold at the World Championships in Tokyo in September, although she is also hoping to break the 1m54sec barrier for the 800m.<\/p>\n She has previously said she has her sights on the world record of 1:53.28, which was set in 1983 by Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova, but it appears that is more of a future aim.<\/p>\n “It’s going to be hard in Tokyo, everyone is going to step it up as they do every year, the standard just gets higher and higher,” Hodgkinson added.<\/p>\n “We’re pushing the limits, we want to break the 1.54 barrier, hopefully this year, we’ll see.<\/p>\n “But the main aim would be to win gold and whatever [time] that comes with would be amazing. Titles last forever.”<\/p>\n