Inside Keely Hodgkinson's 2024 from injury to Olympic glory for SPOTY favourite
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Keely Hodgkinson had not yet finished her lap of honour. But in a clammy room at Stade de France her canny coaches were already talking about the future for Britain’s latest Olympic champion. The women’s 800m world record may be among track and field’s most notorious - set by Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983 - but Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows have long been convinced that Hodgkinson can eventually eclipse the Czech's 1:53.28.
It might take another couple of years but as Hodgkinson bathed in the glory of Paris, Team Hodgkinson were already laying out their designs for an era of domination. There was zero hint of arrogance about their aspirations for the 22-year-old, just an awareness that she is a talent like no other. “She has always said, quite shyly, she wants to be one of the greatest ever,” Meadows said.
Fast forward to now and Hodgkinson, who is expected to be crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year on Tuesday night, is as comfortable looking forward as she is reflecting on a year when she won all nine of her 800m races and clocked 1:54.61, the sixth fastest time ever.
Her top priority remains “medals because they can never be taken away from you” and having claimed a pair of silvers she is desperate to land world championship gold in Tokyo next September. But she adds: “I do think 1.53 is possible. I think we're so close to getting down there, but obviously it takes a special race, you've got to be in perfect shape, perfect conditions, the right race for all that to come together.
