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In 2021, Keely Hodgkinson stunned the world by winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics when she was just 19 years old. Her performance soared even higher at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she claimed a gold medal.
She is currently the leading contender for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2024 — here is everything you need to know about this remarkable athlete.
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Who is Keely Hodgkinson?
Keely Hodgkinson was born in 2002 in Atherton, a town near Wigan.
She hails from an athletic family, with her mother Rachel having been a former athlete with the Leigh Harriers club.
Her father, Dean, has also competed in the London Marathon.
Keely showcased her athletic abilities early on by joining her mother’s Leigh Harriers running club at the age of nine, alongside her swimming pursuits with the Howe Bridge Aces.
At just 10 years old, she made a mark at the British Schools Modern Biathlon Championships in London, placing second in the 500m running race and eighth in the swimming 50m event — this experience prompted her father to motivate her to focus on running full-time.
In 2015, when she was merely 13 years old, Keely underwent surgery to remove a tumor from her ear that threatened her running future.
The surgery was successful but unfortunately left her 95 percent deaf in that ear, leading to an extended recovery period with no training.
At the age of 16, she triumphed in both the England U18 and U20 800m events, along with capturing gold at the European U18 800m Championship while setting a championship record.
By 2019, Keely had successfully made the transition from indoor to outdoor competitions, claiming the British outdoor title at only 18, thus becoming the youngest ever to achieve this feat.
Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson enjoys the atmosphere with Manchester United fans at Old Trafford
Her senior breakthrough arrived in 2021 after athletics had faced disruption due to Covid. She earned her title as the youngest-ever European Indoor champion in the 800m, paving her road to Olympic participation.
Surprising Olympic Silver
At the Tokyo Olympics, Keely astonished everyone by securing a silver medal for Great Britain, breaking Kelly Holmes‘ 26-year-old British record in the process.
Post-Olympics, she collected two gold medals in the Diamond League, two more at the European Championships, and secured two golds in the European Indoor Championships.
I aimed to show not just to myself, but to everyone else that I could achieve multiple medals
Keely Hodgkinson
After her Olympic achievement, Keely openly discussed her struggles with depression, which followed her dream of winning medals.
She expressed to Team GB: “I’ve shown how mentally strong I can be. The Olympic comedown is very much real.
“It was pretty tough being so young and dealing with various changes in my life.
“I didn’t go back to university; I transitioned into being a full-time professional. I moved out, got my own home, and navigated all these transformations.
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“Then you realize you’d have to replicate what you accomplished last year over the duration of a whole year, striving to find that motivation.
“This time, I feel better equipped to tackle such challenges. I also intend to enjoy the process; I’m rediscovering my passion for it once again.
“If I make it to the final and give it my all, I will consider it a success.
“Following Tokyo, I felt no pressure. My only concern was not to be perceived as a one-hit wonder who merely got lucky once.
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“I aimed to demonstrate to myself and to others that I could be a multiple medallist. Here we are, three years later, with many more medals, and it’s genuinely enjoyable!”
Prior to her Olympic success, Keely was pursuing a criminology degree at Leeds Beckett — she took a ‘gap year’ to compete in Tokyo but has since committed to being a full-time athlete.
Gold at Paris 2024
Keely achieved a significant milestone in her career by winning the gold medal in the 800m at the Paris 2024 Olympics on August 5th.
The British athlete executed a powerful front-running display in the final.
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She recorded a remarkable time of 1:56.72, becoming only the third British woman ever to win Olympic gold in the 800m event.
After her win, Keely noted: “I have undergone substantial personal growth over the past few years, and this year has highlighted the progress I’ve achieved.”
SPOTY Contender
Following her Olympic triumph, Keely was named among the six nominees for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
Unfortunately, her promising season cut short because of a minor injury.
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On August 21st, she announced on social media that she would be sidelined for the rest of the 2024 athletics season, including the Diamond League finals in Brussels.
Throughout 2024, Keely showcased an impressive performance, winning all nine of her 800m races.
Despite the setback from her injury, she expressed gratitude for achieving her yearly goals and looks forward to returning to the track in 2025.
Breaking Dame Kelly Holmes’ Record
Keely’s 2021 silver medal shattered the British 800m record held by Dame Kelly Holmes since 1995.
She completed the race in 1:55.88, beating Holmes’ time of 1:56.21, and improved her personal best by two seconds.
Before her victory in Paris 2024, Keely once again broke the record at a Diamond League event held at the Olympic Stadium in London on July 20, 2024.
She clocked a time of 1:54.61, becoming the sixth fastest woman ever recorded in the 800m discipline.
