Adaejah Hodge
Hodge in 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | British Virgin Islands | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | 13 May 2006 Tortola, British Virgin Islands | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||
Event | Sprint | |||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 100m: 11.11 (Lubbock, 2023) NR 200m: 22.32 (College Station, 2026) NR | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Adaejah Hodge (born 13 May 2006) is a sprinter from the British Virgin Islands. She won the 200 metres at the 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships[1] and competed at the 2023 World Athletics Championships and 2024 Olympic Games.[2]
In March 2026, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced that Hodge had served an unannounced doping ban from August 2024 to January 2026. Hodge had tested positive for the banned substance GW501516 at the 2024 World U20 Championships in Lima, where she won the gold medal in the 200m and the silver medal in the 100m. Although those results were disqualified, the AIU gave Hodge a reduced ban for cooperating with the investigation.[3] Hodge's teammate Issam Assinga[4] and coach Gerald Phiri[5] were both sanctioned for offenses involving the same substance.
Early life
From Douglasville, Georgia, Hodge attended school at Montverde Academy.[6][7] In 2022, she was named the Georgia High Schools Association Track and Field Athlete of the Year.[8] In November 2023, she signed a letter of intent to run for the University of Georgia.[9]
Career
2022-23: World Championship debut
In April 2022, Hodge won the girls’ Under-17 100m, 200m and long jump at the Carifta Games in Jamaica.[10][11] While attending Montverde Academy in Florida under coach Gerald Phiri, she ran an indoor U20 world record time of 22.33 seconds for the 200m at the New Balance Nationals Indoor in Boston, Massachusetts in March 2023, surpassing the time of 22.40 set in 2008 by Bianca Knight.[12] The time broke the US girls' high school indoor 200m record by more than half a second, and placed her second on the all-time high school all-conditions list, behind Allyson Felix.[13][14] The race came ten days before her seventeenth birthday.[15]
In April 2023, she set a new national junior record for the 100 metres, running 11.12 seconds.[16] Shortly after, in that same month, she lowered it again, running 11.11 seconds in Lubbock, Texas.[17] In June, she broke the British Virgin Islands senior national record in the 200 metres in Montverde, Florida. Her time of 22.60 seconds broke the previous best of 22.98 seconds held by Tahesia Harrigan-Scott since 2007.[18]
Selected for the 200 metres at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August 2023, she ran a time of 22.82 seconds and qualified for the semi-finals. She became only the third-ever women athlete from the British Virgin Islands to achieve this feat.[19][20]
2024: Olympic debut, World U20 championships
Hodge was part of the Montverde Academy team which broke the US national high school record in the indoor 4x400 metre relay at the VA Showcase in February 2024, alongside Michelle Smith, Alivia Williams and Skyler Franklin.[21]
As an 18 year-old, Hodge competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, over 200 metres, and was the youngest competitor in the event. via the repechage round, Hodge became the first BVI athlete to advance to the Olympic semi-finals in the 200m, running 22.70 seconds to place eighth in her semi-final race, in August 2024.[22][23]
Later that month, Hodge was first across the line in the 200 metres at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru, running the final in 22.74 (0.0m/s) to finish ahead of fellow Paris Olympian, Torrie Lewis of Australia. Hodge had also previously finished second in the women's 100 metres at the championships, running a time of 11.27 seconds in the final to finish behind Alana Reid of Jamaica.[24][25][26] However, Hodge's results were later annulled and she was given a ban for a prohibited metabolic modulator in her findings from the championships. Hodge received a shortened sentence after she provided substantial assistance to anti-doping authorities and it was determined on the balance of probabilities that she ingested the substance unknowingly. The substance in her system, GW501516, was similarly found in her Montverde teammate, Issam Asinga, and was found in the possession of their coach Gerald Phiri who had three athletes banned for the substance between 2023 and 2024.[27]
2025-present
Hodge was named one of seven official ambassadors for the 2025 Junior Pan American Games by Panam Sports.[28] Having not raced since August 2024, Hodge was eligible to return to racing on 28 January 2026.[29]
Hodge made her debut competing indoors for the Georgia Bulldogs in Fayetteville, Arkansas and ran 7.16 seconds for the 60 metres, and set a meeting record of 22.53 seconds for the 200 metres, at the Razorback International on 31 January 2026.[30]
In February, Hodge ran a personal best time of 22.32 seconds to win the 200 meters ahead of JaMeesia Ford at the 2026 SEC Indoor Championships.[31] Competing at the 2026 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships on her twentieth birthday on 13 March, she ran a 22.28 seconds for the 200 metres in the preliminary round, before running a new personal best the following day to win both the NCAA indoor 200m title, with 22.22 beating the rest of the field by 0.33 seconds.[32][33] She also placed second in the 60 metres final behind Shenese Walker of Jamaica, running 7.15 seconds. Her performances helped Georgia to win the team title at the championships in Fayetteville.[34][35][36]
References
- ^ "Adaejah Hodge". World Athletics. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "Adaejah HODGE | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
- ^ "Public Disclosure of disposition of Anti-Doping Matter in accordance with Rule 14.3.2 - Adaejah Hodge (BVI)" (PDF). Athletics Integrity Unit. March 16, 2026.
- ^ AIU Bans Suriname’s Asinga For Four Years https://www.athleticsintegrity.org/downloads/pdfs/other/AIU-PRESS-RELEASE-AIU-BANS-SURINAME-S-ASINGA-FOR-FOUR-YEARS.pdf
- ^ US Coach Suspended Amid AIU-USADA Investigation https://www.athleticsintegrity.org/downloads/pdfs/other/Press-Release_US-Coach-Suspended-Amid-AIU-USADA-Investigation.pdf
- ^ Woods, David (March 13, 2022). "ADAEJAH HODGE, ISSAM ASINGA SMASH 200M RECORDS AT NEW BALANCE NATIONALS INDOOR". Runnerspace. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "A.Hodge". mvasports.com. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "BVI: Adaejah Hodge named Georgia's best JR track & field athlete". Loopnews. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ Levy, Leighton (November 24, 2023). "BVI sprint sensation Adaejah Hodge returns 'home' to University of Georgia". SportsMax. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
- ^ Cowan, Sherdon (April 20, 2022). "A STAR IS BORN!". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "Hodge lines up third gold with 200 final qualification". Jamaica Gleaner. April 17, 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "ADAEJAH HODGE, ISSAM ASINGA SMASH 200M RECORDS AT NEW BALANCE NATIONALS INDOOR{date=13 March 2023". Runnerspace. Retrieved 1 Feb 2026.
- ^ Levy, Leighton (March 12, 2023). "BVI's Adaejah Hodge storms to 200m U18/U20 world record 22.33 at New Balance Indoor High School Championships". Sports Max. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
- ^ Gault, Jonathan (18 March 2025). "Issam Asinga's High School Coach Gerald Phiri Provisionally Suspended by AIU". Lets Run. Retrieved 1 Feb 2026.
- ^ Cory Mull (12 March 2023). "Adaejah Hodge, Just 16, Smashes The World U20 Record In 200m". milesplit.com. Retrieved 1 Feb 2026.
- ^ "BVI's Adaejah Hodge sets new national 100m JR record". Loop Sports. April 24, 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "Adaejah T. Hodge lowers her own National Record in 100m". Virginidlandnewsonline. April 30, 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "Adaejah T. Hodge qualifies for World C/Ships; Breaks 200m National Record". virginislandsnewsonline.com. 15 June 2023. Retrieved 1 Feb 2026.
- ^ "Women's 200m Results: World Athletics Championships 2023". Watch Athletics. 23 August 2023.
- ^ De Shong, Dillon (23 August 2023). "BVI's Adaejah Hodge makes history, qualifies for World 200m semi-final". Caribbean Loopnews. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "OLYMPIC HOPEFULS ADAEJAH HODGE, MICHELLE SMITH PART OF MONTVERDE ACADEMY'S 4X200 LINEUP AT MILLROSE". Runnerspace. 8 Feb 2024. Retrieved 1 Feb 2026.
- ^ "Women's 200m Results - Paris Olympic Games 2024 Athletics". Watch Athletics. 6 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ "Hodge ends Olympics run with 8th place finish in semis". bvinews. 6 August 2024. Retrieved 1 Feb 2026.
- ^ Graham, Raymond (28 August 2024). "Lukewarm start for Jamaica's U20s on chilly Peru day". Jamaica Gleaner. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
- ^ "Reid and Walaza win world U20 100m titles in Lima". World Athletics. 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "Walaza storms to sprint double at World U20 Championships in Lima". World Athletics. 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ Chavez, Chris (March 16, 2026). "UGA Sprinter Adaejah Hodge Gets 2-Year Doping Ban Reduced After Cooperating With Investigators". Citius.
- ^ "BVI names athletes for Junior Pan Am Games!". bvinews.com. 30 July 2025. Retrieved 1 Feb 2026.
- ^ Davern, John (16 March 2026). "Adaejah Hodge Served Doping Ban, AIU Announces Today". Flotrack. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ "TREY CUNNINGHAM CLAIMS WORLD LEAD IN 60M HURDLES AT RAZORBACK INVITATIONAL". Runnerspace.com. 31 Jan 2026. Retrieved 1 Feb 2026.
- ^ "ARKANSAS MEN, FLORIDA WOMEN HOIST TROPHIES AT SEC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS". Runnerspace. 1 March 2026. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
- ^ "JANE HEDENGREN OUTLASTS DORIS LEMNGOLE TO WIN NCAA 5,000 METERS". DyeStat.com. March 14, 2026. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- ^ Jampol, Noah (March 14, 2026). "2026 NCAA indoor women: Jane Hedengren completes sweep, Wilma Nielsen repeats". Lets Run. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ^ "NCAA WOMEN'S FORMCHART". DyeStat.com. March 11, 2026. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ "ADAEJAH HODGE LEADS GEORGIA TO WOMEN'S NCAA CROWN". Runnerspace. 15 March 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Kaalund and Tharp threaten world records at NCAA Indoor Championships". World Athletics. 14 March 2026. Retrieved 14 March 2026.