Keely Nicole Hodgkinson (born 3 March 2002) is an Englishmiddle-distance runner. She is the reigning Olympic champion at 800 m after winning the gold medal at the2024 Summer Olympics. In total, she has won twoOlympic medals having won silver at the same distance in the delayed2020 Games. She is also a two-timeEuropean champion in the 800 m and has won two silver medals and a bronze in the same event atWorld Championship level. She is both the British record holder and the sixth fastest woman ever over 800 m.
At the age of 19, she won the silver medal at the delayed2020 Summer Olympics, while simultaneously breaking theBritish record set byKelly Holmes in 1995. Hodgkinson proceeded to win silver medals at several championships; the2022 and2023 World Championships, as well as the2022 Commonwealth Games. At European level, Hodgkinson went one step higher, becoming a two-time European champion in2022 and2024 and a two-timeEuropean indoor champion from2021 and2023. She also holds theworld indoor best for the600 metres and was the2021 Diamond League finals 800 m champion.
At the2024 Summer Olympics, Hodgkinson won the gold medal in theWomen's 800 m. In the final, she led the race from early on, and then broke away in the last 100 metres to cross the line ahead ofTsige Duguma andreigning world championMary Moraa. Hodgkinson is also a four-time British national senior champion. She was votedBBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2024, and was awarded anMBE for contribution to athletics in the2025 New Year Honours list.
Hodgkinson was born on 3 March 2002 inAtherton,Greater Manchester, and brought up there by parents Dean and Rachel.[4][5] Her mother is also a runner.[6] Hodgkinson attendedFred Longworth High School inTyldesley, where she was friends with fellow pupil and futureEngland footballerElla Toone.[7][8] Hodgkinson also attendedLoughborough College inLeicestershire.[9] In 2021, she began acriminology degree course atLeeds Beckett University, but later dropped out to focus on her athletics career.[10][11]
| External images | |
|---|---|
 (Hodgkinson, left) –Leigh Sports Village -twitter | |
| 2021 Tokyo Olympics -Leigh Journal |
Hodgkinson joinedLeigh Harriers at the age of nine and won county championships in 800 m, 1200 m, 1500 m, and cross-country races.[12] She initially swam with Howe Bridge Aces Swimming Club before devoting herself fully to running.[13][14]
In 2012, aged ten, she competed among seventy finalists at the British Schools Modern Biathlon Championships in London. Hodgkinson finished second in the500 m run and after the 50 m swim she ended in eighth place overall.[13] Her father encouraged her to focus on athletics rather than swimming, and she was also inspired by BritishheptathleteJessica Ennis-Hill winning the gold medal at the2012 London Olympics.[15][16]
In 2013, she became the first Leigh Harrier to claim the individual U11 girls' title in both the South East Lancashire League and the Red Rose League.[17] She ran her 16th consecutive undefeated race two weeks later, winning on a 2 km course in the Mid-Lancashire Cross Country League at U11 level.[18] On thetrack, at U13 level, she became Cheshire and Manchester champion in both the800 and1200 metres.[4] In 2014, Hodgkinson won all 13 of her track races (across 800–1500 m events) as well as several cross country competitions.[4] She took her third Greater Manchester title on a 2.75 km cross country course and later defended both her 800 m and 1200 m titles. She broke the championship record in the latter, which had been set in 1985.[19][20]
In 2015, she had to limit training and starts due to aMastoidectomy to remove a tumour on her ear, which left her 95% deaf in that ear, followed byknee issues.[21][22][23] The following year she finished third in the U15 800 m events at both the ESAA English Schools' Championships and England Athletics Championships.[4] In 2017, she raced the 800 m in the U17 age category. She went on to take her first gold medal at the England Championships, setting a new lifetime best,[4] before adding the 1500 m(UK) School Games title.[24]
In June 2018, aged 16, Hodgkinson became the England U20 800 m champion.[25] The following month, she won the gold medal at theEuropean Athletics U18 Championships held inGyőr, Hungary, breaking the championship record in the process with a time of 2:04.84.[26] In August, she won the England U17 title before setting a competition record time of 2:04.89 on way to victory at the (UK) School Games.[1][27] She was named at the Believe Sports Awards inWigan, as Sports Achiever of the Year.[28]
In June 2019, Hodgkinson competed at the England U20 Championships, placing second, and she earned bronze at theEuropean U20 Championships inBorås, Sweden.[29][30] That year,Trevor Painter andJenny Meadows began coaching her.[31]
On 1 February, aged 17, Hodgkinson set the second-fastest female U20 performance ever in theindoor 800 m at theVienna Indoor Classic. She set a European U20 record of 2:01.16 to triumph on her international debut at senior level, just 0.13 s off the world U20 record. She brokeKirsty Wade's long-standing British U20 record of 2:02.88 set in 1981, andAníta Hinriksdóttir's European record for the age group set in 2015 by 0.4 seconds.[32][33] Later that month, she went on to take the national senior 800 m title at theBritish Indoor Championships.[34] At the end of August, she competed at the Göteborg GP inSweden, recording a newpersonal best of 2:01.78 as she finished behindRaevyn Rogers.[35] The 2020 season was heavily impacted by theCOVID-19 pandemic, with the2020 Summer Olympics postponed until the following year.[36] In September, Hodgkinson claimed theBritish outdoor title to become the youngest winner in the competition over 800 m since 1974.[34][37] She improved her personal best again with a time 2:01.73, when ending her season with a fifth-place finish inRovereto, Italy three days later.[38]
2021 proved to be a breakthrough year for Hodgkinson, and it began in Vienna with her becoming the first British woman to set a world U20 record sinceZola Budd 36 years previously.[39] Having arrived in Vienna after Covid-induced travel complications, she won the 800 m for the second consecutive year with a time of 1:59.03. This marked the first time that she had completed the event in under two minutes, and also broke the world indoor U20 record. She shaved two seconds off the previous best set by Ethiopia'sMeskerem Legesse in 2004.[40] Her record did not last for long, as Hodgkinson's contemporary,Athing Mu, improved the new record the following month to 1:58.40.[41]
Hodgkinson competed at the2021 European Indoor Championships, four days after her 19th birthday. She became the second youngest British winner in the competition's history (after400 m runnerMarilyn Neufville in 1970), and also the youngest ever women's 800 mEuropean indoor champion after hersuccess inToruń, Poland.[42][43]
In May, Hodgkinson secured victory at theGolden Spike inOstrava, Czechia, recording a sub-two minute mark outdoors for the first time after clocking 1:58.89. She broke by almost a second the UK junior record which had been held byCharlotte Moore. Her time was also the European junior record, beatingBirte Bruhns' mark of 1:59.17 set in 1988.[44][45] At the end of June, she sealed a place in theBritish team for the Tokyo Olympics by defending her title at the2021 British Athletics Championships. The competition also doubled as the Olympic trials, and she overcameLaura Muir andJemma Reekie to seal victory.[46][47] A week later, she set a British U23 record by lowering her personal best to 1:57.51 when finishing fourth at theStockholmDiamond League meet.[48]
| External images | |
|---|---|
| 2020 Tokyo Olympics | |
| Surprised Hodgkinson after final race withAthing Mu (left, 1st) andAlexandra Bell (right, 7th) |
At the2021 Summer Olympics, Hodgkinson won the silver medal, taking almost two seconds off her personal best with a time of 1:55.88. She was beaten by Mu. Hodgkinson also brokeKelly Holmes' 26-year-old British record of 1:56.21 in the race.[49] She also set continental U20 and U23 records.[50] After the race, Hodgkinson acknowledged that the Olympics' postponement had benefitted her, explaining, "If the Olympics had been last year I wouldn't have been here, but suddenly it's given me a year to grow and compete with these girls."[51][52]
On the Diamond League circuit, Hodgkinson came second inBrussels,[53] and ended the season with victory at theZürich final in September, winning the Diamond League 800 m title and $30,000 in prize money.[54][55]
Hodgkinson's early athletics career had been funded by her parents, and in 2020, she was not named byBritish Athletics as a recipient of £15,000 of lottery funding. Businessman,Barrie Wells, who had previously helped fund 18 athletes to the2012 London Olympics, stepped in and roughly matched the £15,000 a year that she had missed out on. This allowed Hodgkinson to attend warm-weather training inFlorida.[56][57] In October 2021, British Athletics announced that Hodgkinson would receive lottery funding.[58]
.jpg)
At the beginning of the season, Hodgkinson revealed that she was targeting medals at theWorld Indoor Championships in March as well as three major outdoor championships in the summer: theWorld Championships,Commonwealth Games and theEuropean Championships. Stating her aims, Hodgkinson said "I'd love four major medals. It's definitely physically possible to do all four. Mentally, we'll see. The world outdoors is No 1 and I really want to do the Commonwealths, as it is a home Games. With the Europeans we'll see how the body and mind are coping."[59]
Hodgkinson opened her athletics year on 19 February with the fastest indoor 800 m performance by a woman in 20 years with 1:57.20, at theBirmingham Indoor Grand Prix. It was the quickest mark since the precise day she was born, when the indoor world record was set byJolanda Čeplak. Her time set a new British indoor record, the fastest ever mark by a teenager, and the sixth-fastest indoor mark of all time.[60][61] In March, Hodgkinson headed to the World Indoor Championships inBelgrade. She suffered aquad injury during her warm-up for the event and was forced to withdraw.[62]
On 21 May, Hodgkinson competed at theDiamond League event in Birmingham, claiming victory in the 800 m.[63] She then had further success in the Diamond League, claiming victories in Eugene (with a world leading time for the year of 1:57.72),[64]Oslo (beating international teammate Muir into second),[65] as well as finishing runner-up behindMary Moraa in Stockholm.[66]
In the 800 m at theWorld Athletics Championships in Eugene, Hodgkinson claimed silver after finishing 0.08 s behind Mu. Hodgkinson recorded a season's best time of 1:56.38, and afterwards, she reflected, "I'm definitely a little bit annoyed but being on another world podium in my second year of being in the professional world of athletics is something I should be proud of."[67][68] Less than two weeks later, at theCommonwealth Games, she claimed another silver medal, this time finishing behind Moraa.[69] Later in August, she secured her first major senior outdoor gold, winning the800 m at the European Championships held inMunich in a time of 1:59.04. She finished half a second clear ofRénelle Lamote and remarked afterwards "I'm just happy to finally be on top of the podium."[70][71]
In September, she finished in fifth place at the Zürich Diamond League final.[72] Hodgkinson's time at the Birmingham indoor event earlier in the year, made her the world leader for the season with a nearly 1.3-second advantage, while her result from the World Championships final ranked as the second quickest time for the year outdoors.[73][74]
Hodgkinson got her 2023 campaign off to a good start on 28 January at theManchester Regional Arena inManchester. She set a new world indoor record time in the less frequently run distance of600 metres with a time of 1:23.41, beatingOlga Kotlyarova's record set in 2004 by 0.03 s.[76][77] Hodgkinson then won three events on theWorld Indoor Tour in the 800 m category. She took victories inToruń (meet record of 1:57.87),Liévin in France, and the Tour Final in Birmingham, where she improved her own British indoor record with 1:57.18.[78][79][80] She rounded off her indoor season with a successful defence of her European 800 m title at theEuropean Athletics Indoor Championships inIstanbul. She dedicated the win to her first coach in athletics, Joe Galvin, who had died a few days earlier, saying "This one is definitely for him and everyone at home. He had a lot of belief in little 10-year-old me [...]. I hope to make him really proud, and I hope he is up there watching."[81][82]
Outdoors, the 21-year-old clinched victory at theParisDiamond League on 9 June, breaking her British record by 0.11 s in a time of 1:55.77.[83][84] She also competed in and won the 400 m at the England U23s with a new personal best time of 52.24. The time was also a championship record, eclipsing the mark of 52.43 set byChristine Ohuruogu in 2005.[85] She then finished second to Moraa in the 800 m at theLausanne Diamond League meeting in Switzerland.[86] Having been appointed co-captain of the British team at theEuropean U23 Championships inEspoo, Finland, she competed in the400 m. Hodgkinson went on to secure bronze, clocking a new personal best of 51.76.[87] Later she missed theAnniversary Games Diamond League meeting in London due to an illness.[88]
At theWorld Championships inBudapest, Hodgkinson passed Mu in the final straight, but could not overhaul Moraa at the finish, ultimately finishing second in the800 m with a time of 1:56.34, around 0.3 s separating her from both the champion Moraa (1:56.03) and third-placed Mu (1:56.61). Afterwards, Hodgkinson said "Another podium, another medal, that's definitely a positive."[89] Hodgkinson finished runner-up to Mu in the Eugene Diamond League final, and improved on her own British record with a time of 1:55.19.[90][91]
Hodgkinson opened her 2024 season on 15 May, running a 400 m personal best time of 51.61 at a meeting inSavona, Italy. She finished second behind Ireland'sSharlene Mawdsley.[92] On 25 May, she competed in her first 800 m event of the season at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting inEugene, Oregon. Hodgkinson overtook Moraa with 150 metres remaining and she claimed victory in a world-leading time for the year of 1:55.78.[93]
In June, Hodgkinson competed while suffering from illness at theEuropean Championships inRome. She held offGabriela Gajanová to retain the title she had won two years previously. Speaking about the upcomingSummer Olympics after her European win, Hodkinson said "I'm super excited for Paris[...]The Olympic Games are so special, it's a huge opportunity to change your life and I'm just ready to go for it."[94] At theDiamond League meeting in London on 20 July, Hodgkinson finished in first place and also set a new British 800 m record time of 1:54:61. Her time made her the sixth fastest woman in history over the distance.[95][96] On 7 July, Hodgkinson triumphed at theFBK Games inHengelo, pulling away fromPrudence Sekgodiso on the final bend to secure the victory in a time of 1:57.36.[97]
At the2024 Summer Olympics, Hodgkinson clinched the gold medal in thewomen's 800 m final with a time of 1:56.72.Tsige Duguma finished second in 1:57.15. Hodgkinson became the third British woman to have won Olympic gold at the distance, and the tenth British woman to win an athletics gold in thehistory of the games. Afterwards, Hodgkinson stated "I have worked really hard for the last year and I think you can see how much it meant to me when I crossed the line. I can't believe I have finally done it!"[98][99] A large mural was then painted atStevenson Square in Manchester to honour her achievement.[100] On 21 August, she announced she would miss the rest of the season due to injury.[101][102] At the end of the year, Hodgkinson stated her ambition to break the women's800 m world record held byJarmila Kratochvílová who ran 1:53.28 in 1983.[103]
In February, Hodgkinson intended to try and break Čeplak's 23-year-old indoor 800 m world record at the Keely Klassic, a new competition named after her. However, she was forced to withdraw two days prior to the meet, due to ahamstring tear.[104][105]
Hodgkinson took part in her first race in over a year at theDiamond League event inSilesia on 16 August. She won in a new 800 m world leading time for the year of 1:54.74, which was also her second fastest time ever.[106][107] Hodgkinson then secured back-to-back victories in the Diamond League with another victory on 20 August in Lausanne. Her time of 1:55.69 was a meeting record. After the race, Hodgkinson, speaking about her comeback from long-term injury, stated "I couldn't have asked for a better start, I'm a bit in shock myself."[108]
In September, she won a bronze medal in the 800 metres at the2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo after finishing behindLilian Odira andGeorgia Hunter Bell.[109]
Hodgkinson has a keen interest infashion and attendedLondon Fashion Week in 2024. Speaking about her approach to combining her athletics with her love for fashion, Hodgkinson has stated "I get ready for a track meet as if I'm going out. It's like a stage' you're preparing to perform."[110][111]
Hodgkinson has shared how she suffered a bout ofdepression 'from the comedown' following hersilver medal at the delayed2020 Summer Olympics. She explained that she had taken up playing thepiano to help her deal with it.[112]
She is aManchester United fan and was invited toOld Trafford after winningOlympic gold in 2024.[113]
Information taken fromWorld Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.[1] Last updated on 15 May 2024.
| Event | Time | Venue | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 metres | 51.61 | Citta di Savona, Italy | 15 May 2024 | |
| 400 metres indoor | 52.42i | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 27 February 2022 | |
| 600 metres indoor | 1:23.41i | Manchester, United Kingdom | 28 January 2023 | World best |
| 800 metres | 1:54.61 | London, England | 20 July 2024 | British record, fastest European this century |
| 800 metres indoor | 1:57.18i | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 25 February 2023 | AU23R[note 1]British record, 6th woman all time, fastest since 2002[114] |
| 1500 metres | 4:30.00 | Loughborough, United Kingdom | 1 September 2017 | (age 15; also 4:29.05 in 2018Mx[4]) |
| Junior achievements | ||||
| 800 metres | 1:55.88 | Tokyo, Japan | 3 August 2021 | AU20R, formerAU23R &British record, 4th U20 woman all time[115] |
| 800 metres indoor | 1:59.03i | Vienna, Austria | 30 January 2021 | AU20R,[note 2] 2nd U20 female mark all time[116] |
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | European U18 Championships | Győr, Hungary | 1st | 800 m | 2:04.84 | CR[26] |
| 2019 | European U20 Championships | Borås, Sweden | 3rd | 800 m | 2:03.40 | PB[30] |
| 2021 | European Indoor Championships | Toruń, Poland | 1st | 800 mi | 2:03.88 | [42] |
| Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | 2nd | 800 m | 1:55.88 | AU20RAU23RNR[49] | |
| 2022 | World Championships | Eugene, OR, United States | 2nd | 800 m | 1:56.38 | SB[67] |
| Commonwealth Games | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 2nd | 800 m | 1:57.40 | [69] | |
| European Championships | Munich, Germany | 1st | 800 m | 1:59.04 | [70] | |
| 2023 | European Indoor Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | 1st | 800 m i | 1:58.66 | [82] |
| European U23 Championships | Espoo, Finland | 3rd | 400 m | 51.76 | PB[87] | |
| World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 2nd | 800 m | 1:56.34 | [89] | |
| 2024 | European Championships | Rome, Italy | 1st | 800 m | 1:58.65 | [94] |
| Olympic Games | Paris, France | 1st | 800 m | 1:56.72 | [98] | |
| 2025 | World Championships | Tokyo, Japan | 3rd | 800 m | 1:54.91 | [109] |
800 metres wins, other events specified in parentheses.
2021[117]Key: Lifetime best
| Year | 800 m indoor | Notes | World rank | 800 m | Notes | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | — | (age 15) | 2:06.85 | 211 – 632 – 472 | ||
| 2018 | — | 2:04.26 | 71 – 212 – 225 | |||
| 2019 | — | 2:03.40 | 31 – 92 – 167 | |||
| 2020 | 2:01.16i | AU20iR | 12 – 13 | 2:01.73 | 12 – 49 | |
| 2021 | 1:59.03 i | WU20iR | 22 – 4 | 1:55.88 | AU20R AU23RNR | 22 – 2 |
| 2022 | 1:57.20 i | AU23iR[note 1]NiR | 1 | 1:56.38 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 1:57.18 i | AU23iR[note 1]NiR | 1 | 1:55.19 | AU23RNR | 2 |
| 2024 | — | 1:54.61 | AU23RNR | 1 | ||
| 2025 | — | 1:54.74 | 1* | |||
– World rank from World Athletics' Season Top Lists.1U18 ranking,2U20 ranking.
Track results only. Hodgkinson competed also at the ECCA English Championships (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018) with best place being fifth on a 5 km course in 2018, and at the cross country ESAA Championships (2016, 2017, 2018) with best place being second on a 3.8 km course also in 2018.[4]
Key: National championships; Other National level events
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | ESAA English Schools' Championships, U15 events | Gateshead | 3rd | 800 m | 2:13.08 |
| England Championships, U15 events | Bedford | 3rd | 800 m | 2:12.53 | |
| 2017 | ESAA English Schools' Championships, U17 events | Birmingham | 4th | 800 m | 2:08.82 |
| England Championships, U17 events | Bedford | 1st | 800 m | 2:06.85 | |
| (UK) School Games, U17 events | Loughborough | 1st | 1500 m | 4:30.00 | |
| 2018 | England Championships, U20 events | Bedford | 1st | 800 m | 2:04.41 |
| England Championships, U17 events | Bedford | 1st | 800 m | 2:09.38 | |
| (UK) School Games, U17 events | Loughborough | 1st | 800 m | 2:04.89GR | |
| 2019 | England Championships, U20 events | Bedford | 2nd | 800 m | 2:05.77 |
| 2020 | British Indoor Championships | Glasgow | 1st | 800 mi | 2:04.37 |
| British Championships | Manchester | 1st | 800 m | 2:03.24 | |
| 2021 | British Indoor Championships | Event cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic | |||
| British Championships | Manchester | 1st | 800 m | 1:59.61 | |
| 2022 | British Indoor Championships | Birmingham | 2nd | 400 m i | 52.42PB |
| British Championships | Manchester | 5th | 400 m | 52.41PB | |
| 2023 | British Indoor Championships | Birmingham | — | ||
| England Championships, U23 events | Chelmsford | 1st | 400 m | 52.24PBCR | |
| British Championships | Manchester | 1st | 800 m | 1:58.26SR | |
|
European Athletics Championships champions in women's800 metres | |
|---|---|
|
|
|
|
.jpg)
