Paris changed Keely Hodgkinson's life – but what's next for Olympic champion?

Independent

07-03-2025

Keely Hodgkinson skips down the steps in the stands of the Utilita Arena Birmingham, inundated by dozens of young girls desperate for an autograph or selfie. The Olympic champion gladly bounces from corner to corner over several hours to satisfy her adoring fans at last month's self-titled Keely Klassic. In fact, Hodgkinson managed to work up a sweat despite not competing due to an ill-timed hamstring injury that dashed hopes of an indoor 800m world record.
Yet that setback has shone a light on the star Hodgkinson has become since that unforgettable summer evening in Paris, when the 22-year-old surged clear of her competition to seize a dominant gold on that iconic purple Stade de France track.
An emotional start to 2025, having shed a few tears after sustaining that untimely injury last month to abruptly end her indoor season, has provided added perspective on her journey to date. Last year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Hodgkinson has dazzled at non-athletics events such as the Brits, F1's 2025 launch event and even appeared pitchside at Wembley for the Lionesses' victory over world champions Spain.
'You feel inspired [at these kind of events],' a buoyant Hodgkinson tells The Independent after being included as one of 50 exceptional women celebrated in the 2025 Influence List to mark International Women's Day.
'It's been nice to mingle with people from other sports and events and just see how they do it, especially the big ones at the top. It's been good fun, I've always said I take the opportunities when I can to meet new people and new cultures.'
Hodgkinson insists it remains 'amazing to hear the stories from little girls and boys who watched in Paris,' having repeatedly replayed that 800m final in her mind, right up until the euphoria of accepting a crown moments after crossing the finish line.
'My goal in Paris was when you get nervous and you really focus on something, it can be very easy to just forget what happened and everything goes into a blur, so I really wanted to remember everything,' Hodgkinson recalls. 'So I really tried an effort to be like, look around me as well as just be really focused. So I kind of remember everything.
'I remember walking out of the tunnel to the final and that was amazing. The crowd was full of British people, so it almost felt like a home Games for me in a weird way. All my family and friends were there. The whole thing was kind of magical, and I couldn't have imagined it going any better.'
Hodgkinson has already started to deal with the added attention and weight of expectations on the road to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September. A formidable team, led by coaches Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, has provided confidence that Hodgkinson has 'the best and most meticulous planners' to position her for what would be a first World Championship 800m gold for a British woman, with her back-to-back silver medals in 2022 and 2023 matching the legendary Kelly Holmes' effort in 2003.
Part of that preparation is how to respond to added attention and distractions, with her injury before the Keely Klassic provoking criticism from Michael Johnson. The former Olympic champion, ahead of the launch of his own innovative new series Grand Slam Track, hit out at the event's format: 'You can't build around one star.'
But Hodgkinson displayed immense maturity, while contending with the frustration of her injury, in her response as she outlined her vision for the sport and a desire to leave a legacy beyond the track.
'I think people got confused because my name was in the title,' Hodgkinson replied. 'It was always going to be called that, regardless of whether I ran or not.
'And for us, it was more about bringing something new and trying to build a legacy with something that we hope goes on longer than when I'm retired. It was never just about me competing. Unfortunately, injuries happened, but it was still a great day and we saw some great performances. I think we had three British records, so, yes, I think it was success.'
That maturity suggests Hodgkinson is in the right mindset to recover from her injury setback and deal with the pressure when she returns to action, with her ambition burning brighter than ever.
'It definitely will be a challenge [to win with greater expectations], and it's something I haven't dealt with before,' Hodgkinson acknowledges. 'But I'm kind of excited for that challenge.
'Since becoming Olympic champion, I was worried about maybe having a bit of a dip. Or an Olympic comedown. But it's almost given me a newfound motivation to want to keep it going and keep pushing forward. The title has almost pushed me forward to say, 'Okay, let's see how far we can go.'