Keely Hodgkinson has been topped BBC Sports activities Character of the Yr.
After a historic season, which culminated with an Olympic 800m gold medal in Paris, Hodgkinson turned the primary individual from athletics since Mo Farah in 2017 to safe the award.
Teenage darts sensation Luke Littler, who gained Younger Sports activities Character 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 stated. “I’ve achieved the whole lot I got down to do on the out of doors monitor, which is kind of uncommon to occur. I’m so grateful to be on this place.”
Hodgkinson’s triumph in Salford isn’t shocking.
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.
Exterior of that golden second on the Stade de France, Hodgkinson additionally lowered her personal British 800m report 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 record within the 800m and there are actually hopes that she may get close to Jarmila Kratochvílová’s world report – 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 dedication to succeed towards the percentages makes Hodgkinson a worthy winner of BBC Sports activities Character of the Yr.
Athletics has a wealthy historical past within the occasion and Hodgkinson is now the nineteenth individual 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 subject and placing out sport on the market,” she advised AW on the pink carpet. “It’s not nearly me however all the athletes within the sport.
“I’ve dared to dream massive. I grew up watching the likes of Jessica Ennis-Hill and she or he actually impressed me. London 2012 was the explanation I obtained again into the game.
“Did I believe all of this is able to occur so quickly? No. Simply to be on this place now could be a privilege and hopefully I’ve a profession with many extra medals and data.”
“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 needed to win and perhaps made just a few errors wanting again. That basically gave me that further enhance 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 have been topped BBC Sports activities Character 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 Character World Sport Star of the Yr, turning into the primary individual from athletics to say the award since Eliud Kipchoge in 2019.
“I’m so honoured to win this award,” he advised the BBC. “I do know it means rather a lot and I’m in nice firm with the a number of the greatest legends within the historical past of sport.”
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