The Olympic 800m champion turns into the primary particular person from athletics to safe the award since Mo Farah seven years in the past
Keely Hodgkinson has been topped BBC Sports activities Persona of the Yr.
After a historic season, which culminated with an Olympic 800m gold medal in Paris, Hodgkinson grew to become the primary particular person from athletics since Mo Farah in 2017 to safe the award.
Teenage darts sensation Luke Littler, who gained Younger Sports activities Persona of the Yr, was second and England’s highest ever check run-scorer Joe Root positioned third.
“This yr has been completely unimaginable for me,” Hodgkinson mentioned. “I’ve achieved all the pieces I got down to do on the outside monitor, which is kind of uncommon to occur. I’m so grateful to be on this place.”
Hodgkinson’s triumph in Salford isn’t stunning.
Keely Hodgkinson (Getty)
Not solely did the 22-year-old stand on the highest of the Olympic 800m podium – becoming a member of Kelly Holmes (2004) and Ann Packer (1964) as simply the third British feminine champion over two laps on the Video games – however she went unbeaten within the distance all season.
Outdoors of that golden second on the Stade de France, Hodgkinson additionally lowered her personal British 800m document with a scintillating 1:54.61 on the London Diamond League.
In entrance of a packed partisan crowd, Hodgkinson led a British 1-2-3 over two laps, with Jemma Reekie and Georgia Bell in second and third respectively.
That point put Hodgkinson sixth on the worldwide all-time checklist within the 800m and there are actually hopes that she may get close to Jarmila Kratochvílová’s world document – the oldest within the sport – of 1:53.28 from 1983.
Georgia Bell, Keely Hodgkinson and Jemma Reekie (Getty)
Hodgkinson additionally retained her European 800m title with a gutsy run on the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Defying sickness, the Brit clocked 1:58.65 to see off the problem from Slovakia’s Gabriela Gajanová and France’s Anaïs Bourgoin.
That drive and willpower to succeed towards the percentages makes Hodgkinson a worthy winner of BBC Sports activities Persona of the Yr.
Athletics has a wealthy historical past within the occasion and Hodgkinson is now the nineteenth particular person from athletics to win the award within the 71-year historical past of the occasion.
Keely Hodgkinson (Getty)
“One of many biggest issues about tonight is representing monitor and area and placing out sport on the market,” she instructed AW on the crimson carpet. “It’s not nearly me however all the athletes within the sport.
“I’ve dared to dream huge. I grew up watching the likes of Jessica Ennis-Hill and he or she actually impressed me. London 2012 was the rationale I obtained again into the game.
“Did I feel all of this could occur so quickly? No. Simply to be on this place now’s a privilege and hopefully I’ve a profession with many extra medals and information.”
“Every silver medal that I had has meant one thing completely different. Tokyo was clearly a whirlwind after which one in Oregon, I used to be like ‘okay, we’ve closed the hole’. Budapest, I used to be sad with that one. I wished to win and possibly made a number of errors trying again. That basically gave me that further increase this yr to go for it and also you’ve seen that in my performances.”
Jenny Meadows with Trevor Painter and Keely Hodgkinson (Getty)
Hodgkinson’s coaches Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows had been topped BBC Sports activities Persona Coaches of the Yr, following within the footsteps of the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola.
The pair coached Hodgkinson, Georgia Bell and Lewis Davey to respective Olympic 800m gold, 1500m bronze and 4x400m bronze medals in Paris.
Mondo Duplantis additionally gained the BBC Sports activities Persona World Sport Star of the Yr, changing into the primary particular person from athletics to assert the award since Eliud Kipchoge in 2019.
“I’m so honoured to win this award,” he instructed the BBC. “I do know it means loads and I’m in nice firm with the a number of the largest legends within the historical past of sport.”
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