Keely Hodgkinson WR
Final Saturday, I watched Keely Hodgkinson run a GB Indoor 800m file t the GB Indoor Champs in Birmingham. Her time was 1:56.33. However she was solely training!
The massive race of the week was on the Assembly de Liévin in Northern France. I used to be not there this 12 months however attended beforehand. Liévin is an outdated mining space of Pas-de-Calais, close to Lens, about 100 miles north of Paris. It’s a small city with simply 30,000 individuals however with a stunning indoor area. The meals for media is, effectively, French. Wonderful. An unbelievable tarte aux pommes and a cheeseboard to die for! Sadly not there in individual this 12 months.
In Liévin , Keely completed in 1:54.87 to take virtually a second off Jolanda Čeplak’s mark from 2002. The supreme irony with a contact of future is that Keely was born on the identical day – March 3, 2002 – that Čeplak set the mark and has felt for some time that it’s her destiny to say the file. That Čeplak served a two-year suspension for a drug offence made plenty of us happy {that a} tainted file has been erased.
Keely stated afterwards: “Being the world file holder is one thing I knew I used to be able to. Coming right here, the query was extra: how briskly can I’m going? I’m fairly proud of that, however I imagine there may be extra to present. A 1:54 indoors, it’s solely my fourth time working sub-1:55, so it’s actually unimaginable. I wish to thank all the ladies for pushing me. The pacemaker additionally did an important job. I wasn’t simply right here to interrupt the file, I completely needed to smash it. I’m actually proud of that.
“It was actually thrilling all day, and I felt that it might occur immediately. It was an extended wait till the beginning of the competitors and it’s going to be an extended evening as I’m not going to sleep now. Nevertheless it was value it and the ambiance was wonderful. I stay up for the longer term and seeing how a lot additional I can push it. There was plenty of speak on-line, however I put my telephone down immediately as a result of I continually noticed my very own face. The strain was enormous, however it’s a privilege to be on this place, so I welcome the strain and attempt to convey the perfect out of myself.
“It’s unimaginable that the world file stood for nearly 24 years. It stood so lengthy and I do know that lots of people needed it, so I’m proud that I’m the one who might break it. I’ve lots of people behind me who imagine in me, which is very nice. The season has already gone higher than I had hoped for. I advised my coach again in December that I’d be very glad simply to make it to a begin line this indoor season due to all of the accidents over the previous couple of years. To make the beginning line in form is even higher. This relaxed method, taking it week by week, was very nice. I didn’t miss a single monitor session. It was probably the most constant build-up in the direction of a season in years, in order that’s actually thrilling and I’m very grateful simply to be wholesome”.
I’ve been privileged to be within the stadium to see Keely
Take silver and gold within the Olympics 2021 and 2024
Take silver in World Championships in Oregon and Budapest
Change into European Champion in Munich and Rome
Change into Commonwealth Champion in Birmingham
Win the European indoors in Istanbul
Win a Diamond League last in addition to a variety of particular person DL races
I’ve spoken to her 1-2-1 and on a variety of events as a part of a GB press huddle!
Properly-done Keely! Properly carried out coaches Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows.
