Keely Hodgkinson wins BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2024
Hodgkinson went undefeated over 800m in a sensational year which culminated in the Olympic gold she had been determined to achieve following a series of near-misses.
Having retained the European gold which in 2022 represented her first major outdoor title, Hodgkinson triumphed in dominant fashion in Paris to deliver Team GB’s first Olympic track title since Mo Farah’s 5,000m and 10,000m double in Rio in 2016.
She became only the 10th British woman to win an athletics gold at an Olympics – and first since Jessica Ennis-Hill at London 2012.
A little-known teenager when she announced herself with Olympic silver in Tokyo, Hodgkinson rapidly established herself as one of the world’s best as she battled ‘Big Three’ rivals Athing Mu and Mary Moraa for the sport’s biggest prizes.
But she has remained unwavering in her determination to take that next step on the podium in her pursuit of becoming one of Britain’s most decorated athletes.
Now, with the improved British record she set at the London Diamond League in July, athletics’ longest-standing world record – Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova ran 1:53.28 in 1983 – could be within Hodgkinson’s sights.
Next year offers further opportunities for glory with indoor and outdoor World Championships for Hodgkinson to target as a new Olympic cycle begins.
