Keely Hodgkinson Secures Team GB’s First Athletics Gold at Paris Olympics with 800m Triumph

Keely Hodgkinson has become an Olympic champion, capturing the gold medal in the women’s 800m at the Paris Olympics. This victory marks Team GB’s first athletics gold of the games and their 12th overall.

Arriving in Paris as Britain’s top hope for track and field gold, the 22-year-old Hodgkinson led the race from the bell and never wavered, holding off her competitors with a commanding performance. Her journey to this moment has been fueled by a determination to move beyond her previous silver medals and a strong belief in her abilities.

“I’ve been thinking about this moment every day for the past year,” Hodgkinson said before the race. “I’ve got to go out and do what I know I can do. If I can commit to that, I think I’ll get what I want.”

Hodgkinson breezed through the heats and semi-final, winning the latter with ease on Sunday night. She credited her restful sleep for her readiness, saying, “I’ve been getting 10 hours every night. I’ve changed my sleep schedule because I’ve been racing so late – I’m going to bed at 12 and sleeping at 10.”

Her strategy for the final was straightforward: dominate from the start and leave her rivals behind. Although Jemma Reekie’s absence was felt, Hodgkinson’s performance took center stage as the sun set over Stade de France. Her journey to this moment reflects the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics, which inspired her to pursue athletics seriously at the age of 10.

Initially a budding heptathlete, Hodgkinson soon realized her talent lay in middle-distance running. She quickly rose through the ranks, winning the national title at 18 and having a breakout season in 2021. Despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, she became the European Indoor Champion and won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, breaking Kelly Holmes’ British record.

In Tokyo, she was narrowly defeated by Athing Mu, who also edged her out at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene. Mary Moraa emerged as another formidable competitor, beating Hodgkinson at the Commonwealth Games and the World Championships in Budapest. However, Hodgkinson entered the Paris Olympics in peak form, having recently set a personal best.

Her childhood coach, Margaret Galvin, had always believed Hodgkinson would win her first gold at the 2024 Paris Games. “She will always be a Leigh Harrier, it’s just that now she is the fastest woman in the world,” Galvin said before the games.

Raised in Atherton, near Wigan in Greater Manchester, Hodgkinson graduated in criminology from Leeds Beckett University in 2021. Supported by her parents, Rachel and Dean Hodgkinson, she has traveled the world competing internationally.

Hodgkinson has also faced significant challenges, including a tumor that left her partially deaf at a young age. She underwent a mastoidectomy, a procedure to remove the non-cancerous tumor that had crushed her hearing bones and was pressing on her spine. Reflecting on the experience, she said, “Now that was quite scary for a 13-year-old girl to think that could happen, but the bones were already crushed anyway so they tried to save them but that turned out why I had a lot of hearing problems growing up.”

Keely Hodgkinson’s victory in Paris is a testament to her resilience, determination, and exceptional talent, marking a new chapter in her already impressive athletic career.