Keely Hodgkinson skips down the steps within the stands of the Utilita Enviornment Birmingham, inundated by dozens of younger ladies determined for an autograph or selfie. The Olympic champion gladly bounces from nook to nook over a number of hours to fulfill her adoring followers eventually month’s self-titled Keely Klassic. In reality, Hodgkinson managed to work up a sweat regardless of not competing as a result of an ill-timed hamstring harm that dashed hopes of an indoor 800m world report.
But that setback has shone a lightweight on the star Hodgkinson has develop into since that unforgettable summer time night in Paris, when the 22-year-old surged away from her competitors to grab a dominant gold on that purple Stade de France observe.
Hodgkinson has had an emotional begin to 2025 – tears have been shed final month when she sustained the hamstring harm, which ended her indoor season – but it surely additionally supplied added perspective on her journey thus far. Final yr’s BBC Sports activities Character of the 12 months, Hodgkinson has dazzled at non-athletics occasions such because the Brits and F1’s 2025 launch occasion, and he or she even appeared pitchside at Wembley for the Lionesses’ victory over world champions Spain.
“You’re feeling impressed [at these kind of events],” a buoyant Hodgkinson tells The Unbiased after being included as one in every of 50 distinctive girls celebrated within the 2025 Affect Checklist to mark Worldwide Girls’s Day.
“It’s been good to mingle with individuals from different sports activities and occasions and simply see how they do it, particularly the large ones on the high. It’s been good enjoyable, I’ve all the time mentioned I take the alternatives after I can to satisfy new individuals and new cultures.”
Hodgkinson insists it stays “wonderful to listen to the tales from little ladies and boys who watched in Paris,” having repeatedly replayed that 800m ultimate in her thoughts, proper up till the euphoria of accepting a crown moments after crossing the end line.
“My objective in Paris was whenever you get nervous and you actually concentrate on one thing, it may be very simple to simply neglect what occurred and every part goes right into a blur, so I actually wished to recollect every part,” Hodgkinson remembers. “So I actually tried an effort to be like, go searching me in addition to simply be actually centered. So I sort of keep in mind every part.
“I keep in mind strolling out of the tunnel to the ultimate and that was wonderful. The group was filled with British individuals, so it nearly felt like a house Video games for me in a bizarre approach. All my household and buddies have been there. The entire thing was sort of magical, and I could not have imagined it going any higher.”
Hodgkinson has already began to cope with the added consideration and weight of expectations on the street to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September. A formidable staff, led by coaches Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, has supplied confidence that Hodgkinson has “the perfect and most meticulous planners” to place her for what could be a primary World Championship 800m gold for a British lady, together with her back-to-back silver medals in 2022 and 2023 matching the legendary Kelly Holmes’ effort in 2003.
A part of that preparation is how to reply to added consideration and distractions, together with her harm earlier than the Keely Klassic scary criticism from Michael Johnson. The previous Olympic champion, forward of the launch of his personal progressive new collection Grand Slam Monitor, hit out on the occasion’s format: “You’ll be able to’t construct round one star.”
However Hodgkinson displayed immense maturity, whereas contending with the frustration of her harm, in her response as she outlined her imaginative and prescient for the game and a need to go away a legacy past the observe.
“I believe individuals bought confused as a result of my title was within the title,” Hodgkinson replied. “It was all the time going to be referred to as that, no matter whether or not I ran or not.
“And for us, it was extra about bringing one thing new and making an attempt to construct a legacy with one thing that we hope goes on longer than after I’m retired. It was by no means nearly me competing. Sadly, accidents occurred, but it surely was nonetheless an excellent day and we noticed some nice performances. I believe we had three British information, so, sure, I believe it was success.”
That maturity suggests Hodgkinson is in the suitable mindset to get better from her harm setback and cope with the strain when she returns to motion, together with her ambition burning brighter than ever.
“It positively can be a problem [to win with greater expectations], and it is one thing I have not handled earlier than,” Hodgkinson acknowledges. “However I am sort of excited for that problem.
“Since turning into Olympic champion, I used to be fearful about perhaps having a little bit of a dip. Or an Olympic comedown. But it surely’s nearly given me a newfound motivation to need to hold it going and hold pushing ahead. The title has nearly pushed me ahead to say, ‘Okay, let’s have a look at how far we are able to go.”
Unbiased Girls 2025 – The Affect Checklist
