Keely Hodgkinson Aims to become One of Britain’s Most Prominent Athletes at London Diamond League – Hot

Venue: London Stadium Date: Sunday, 23 July
Coverage: BBC TV, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website & app 13:15-16:35 BST

Keely Hodgkinson has no desire for her career to be anything less than extraordinary.

The mix of shock and delight on Hodgkinson’s face after she stormed clear of her rivals to clock a British 800m record in her opening race of the season in Paris, running one minute 55.77 seconds, told its own story.

Her frightening potential continues to surprise even herself.

Hodgkinson is one of athletics’ most exciting prospects – yet she is already an Olympic, world and Commonwealth silver medallist, the reigning European champion indoor and outdoor, and has a world record to her name. Her meteoric rise is only increasing in velocity.

Rarely fazed by her opponents or environment, it is easy to forget how quickly this has all come to Hodgkinson, who was not lottery funded before making the Olympic podium in 2021.

“Last year was quite challenging for me,” Hodgkinson says. “We had a very busy season with three major championships, which was mentally challenging on its own.

“But also I feel like I was 19 one minute and now I’m 21. I feel like I’ve had to grow up quite quickly.

“I don’t really know where the last two years have gone and I feel like I’m a completely different person.

“I’ve learned it’s important for me to have balance in my life, having time with friends and family which doesn’t involve talking about athletics, training or when my next race is.

“That’s how I’ve found I’m able to sustain it mentally.”

Despite still in the infancy of her career, only American Athing Mu and Kenya’s Mary Moraa denied the Briton total global dominance within her first two years as a professional athlete.

After crossing the line an agonising 0.08 seconds behind Mu at last year’s delayed World Championships, Hodgkinson will aim to upgrade her medal in Budapest next month, having clocked the fastest time in the world this year.

It is an achievement which would signify much more than a first global title.

“It would mean a lot,” says Hodgkinson. “I would probably cry, actually, after two years of dedication and so much hard work.

“There are some really good athletes out there who are really hard to beat, so it would just be nice to finally come out on top and upgrade the silver.”

It is the competition with Mu, also 21, in particular which has attracted attention, not least because it is a rivalry which could define the event for years to come.

“It does excite me. I don’t know if it excites her,” Hodgkinson says with a laugh.

“I like competition, that’s what I relish the most. If you lose you lose, but at least put yourself out there to try.

“I’m still really proud of what I did last year. I don’t think I put a foot wrong in that race and my coaches don’t either. Knowing that, I can accept it.

“Now it’s about how I make up that 0.08 seconds. I think I’m in better shape but you never know what everyone else will bring and anything can happen at a championships.”

Hodgkinson has not relented in 2023, resuming her bid for medals with a series of emphatic victories.

The Leigh athlete, coached by Trevor Painter and world 800m medallist Jenny Meadows, went undefeated in 10 races over the first half of the year, which included the successful defence of her European title and breaking the 600m world record in a dominant indoor campaign.

But despite often winning by significant margins, her frustration at not quite matching her own lofty personal expectations was evident.

“It was annoying me at the time,” says Hodgkinson. “Looking back I shouldn’t have been pulling those faces because I had a really good indoor season, but I knew there was more in there and I felt as though I was wasting an opportunity.

“Jenny always reminds me that when you’re on top and winning you should enjoy that because you never know when it might be taken away.

“This sport is brutal like that – everything can be taken away in a moment – so I know it’s about enjoying the moment and hopefully I can avoid injuries, illnesses and any other setbacks.”

Her stunning outdoor curtain-raiser in June, in the city where next year she will target Olympic success, came as a visible surprise to Hodgkinson, with that national record achieved despite a quadricep issue forcing a delay to her season.

Recovering from her only defeat of the year, to Moraa in Lausanne last month, Hodgkinson has since been crowned British champion – and her next race is one she is relishing.

Hodgkinson will compete at the London Stadium for the first time when it hosts the London Diamond League meeting and a near sellout crowd on Sunday – the first major athletics event held there since 2019.

Amid ongoing uncertainty around whether UK Athletics can maintain a presence at the iconic 2012 Olympic venue, Hodgkinson says she was unsure if the chance to compete at the venue which bore witness to Super Saturday would ever arise.

“I’m really excited because I didn’t think I would get the opportunity to run in London in my career,” Hodgkinson says. “To have a home crowd and almost a full house of 50,000 people, it will be one of the biggest stages I’ve competed on.

“I was only 10 years old in 2012 but I remember Super Saturday and in particular Jessica Ennis-Hill.

“Watching her compete then was a big inspiration to me.”

Arriving just four weeks before launching her bid for world gold, this weekend represents a final big-stage practice run before Budapest – along with a chance to make yet another statement to her rivals with the backing of an expectant home crowd.

At this exciting moment in her career, Hodgkinson only sees opportunities.

“To have two Olympics and two World Championships in the space of four years, that’s a big opportunity. There’s no waiting around,” she says.

“On the track is where I feel the most comfortable. I’m in control of everything. It all comes down to a lot of self confidence and belief but, whatever happens, as long as I do my best, I’ll be happy.”