Keely Hodgkinson set a new British record as the Olympic silver medallist returned to action in style with 800 metres victory at the Muller Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham.

The 19-year-old, racing for the first time since her Diamond League win in Zurich in September, clocked a time of one minute 57.20 seconds at the Utilita Arena, surpassing Jemma Reekie’s previous best indoor mark of 1min 57.91secs.

Hodgkinson said: “First race, to open like that, I couldn’t be any happier really. I just wanted to go out there, enjoy it in front of a home crowd and do something special like that. So I’m really happy.

“To come out and do this, see people I’ve not seen in a long time, I really enjoy it. I have the best job in the world I think!”

Hodgkinson’s breakthrough 2021 saw her become the youngest ever 800m European indoor champion in March before then breaking Kelly Holmes’ British record as she claimed the Olympic silver medal at the summer’s Tokyo Games.

Regarding the year ahead, she said: “I’m definitely excited. I think from last year, I definitely have more confidence in myself, but I also expect more.

“I don’t have a gold yet, that’s definitely the aim, but it’s not going to be easy, especially with the Americans on American soil (at the World Championships in Eugene). But it’s definitely a challenge I’m up for and I’ll give it my best shot.

“Birmingham (the Commonwealth Games) is definitely on my list to do, and the Europeans (in Munich) we’ll see because my coach says I’m young, you want to have a long career, take it easy. So we’ll see what’s going on.”

Asked if she felt more pressure starting this year, Hodgkinson said: “I’d probably just say there’s more eyes on what I’m doing. Pressure – I don’t really see it like that. I feel like pressure comes from yourself.”

Hodgkinson was offered top-level funding on the British Athletics Olympic World Class Programme in October, and she added: “I think it’s definitely been an uncomfortable shift, because so much has happened at once, but I’ve just been adjusting and getting used to now being a proper professional athlete.

“I’m really enjoying it, it’s what I’ve always wanted to do, it’s just come earlier than I thought.”

Saturday’s action in Birmingham also included five-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah winning the 60m, the Jamaican posting a time of 7.08 seconds as she finished ahead of Britain’s Daryll Neita, who ran a personal best of 7.11.

Thompson-Herah said: “It’s a good win and although I wanted to go under seven seconds I’m good.

“It’s part of my training process and I’m still thinking about the World Indoors (in Belgrade in March).”

The men’s 60m event – won by American Noah Lyles – saw GB’s Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake fail to make the final, finishing seventh in his heat a day on from the announcement that he had lost the 4x100m relay silver he claimed at the Tokyo Olympics due to CJ Ujah’s failed drugs test.

Sweden’s Tokyo gold medallist Armand Duplantis won the pole vault competition with a height of 6.05m, just failing to set a new world record as he toppled the bar at 6.19m.

Reekie finished seventh in a 1,000m race won by fellow Briton Isabelle Boffey in 2:38.35.