The Olympic 800m champion has not raced since winning gold in Paris last August due to injury and says it will be daunting when she hits the track again at the Diamond League event in Stockholm next month.

Hodgkinson, who was presented with her MBE by Prince William at Windsor Castle on Tuesday (13.04.25), told BBC Sport: "I feel out of practice in a way, because by the time I do race it will be 10 months.

"But it's nothing we haven't coped with before. It will be a challenge, the first race will be a nerve-wracking one because my last race I literally became Olympic champion. But I'm excited for it."

Hodgkinson will be a part of a top-quality field for the race but admits that the challenges of proving that she is the best gives her additional "motivation".

The Team GB star 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.

"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.

"It's not going to be easy, it never is, but I'm looking forward to it."

Hodgkinson's main target for the year is to win World Championship gold in Tokyo in September and she is also hoping to break the one minute 54 second barrier in the 800m.

She said: "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.

"We're pushing the limits, we want to break the 1:54 barrier, hopefully this year, we'll see.

"But the main aim would be to win gold and whatever [time] that comes with would be amazing. Titles last forever."