The Great Britain runner had to settle for a bronze medal in the women’s 800 metres at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo after an injury-hit season
Bronze medalist Keely Hodgkinson (L) and silver medalist Georgia Hunter Bell celebrate by doing karaoke in Japan(Image: Instagram: @harleyybooth)
Keely Hodgkinson enjoyed Tokyo’s nightlife after wrapping up the World Athletics Championships for another year. Great Britain rounded off the final day of competition on Sunday with two medals in the women’s 800 metres, and Hodgkinson celebrated by performing a karaoke version of Miley Cyrus’ ‘Party in the USA’ in her full track gear, with her silver medal hung around her neck.
After winning gold at the Paris Olympics last year, it was hoped that Hodgkinson would follow up on that success and top the podium again in Tokyo. However, after an injury-hit season, the 23-year-old had to settle for bronze, with her training partner Georgia Hunter Bell taking silver while Kenya’s Lilian Odira clinched the world title.
It was the finest of margins that decided bronze and silver, with just 0.01 seconds separating the two British runners. While Bell recorded a lifetime best performance, Hodkingson delivered her third-fastest run of the season, a fine effort considering the year she has had.
After she suffered a hamstring tear in February, a subsequent minor setback led her to also withdraw from Diamond League meetings in Stockholm and London. However, she returned to the track in Silesia last month, racing for the first time in 376 days and recording the ninth-fastest time in history.
While she was naturally disappointed at missing out on gold, Hodgkinson was certainly not bitter and showed her true character following the final as she spoke of her pride at making it to the World Championships and onto the podium. Reflecting on the last few months, while speaking to The Telegraph, she also gave a blunt assessment of how her season had gone.
Just 0.01 seconds separated Hodgkinson and Bell, with Kenya’s Lilian Odira winning gold
“It’s been a s***show,” she said. “I mean an absolute s***show. I think when you look at some of the greats in all sports there’s years where they haven’t done as well, they’ve missed podiums, they’ve missed a complete year, they’ve missed the championships and somehow I’ve managed to stay on that trajectory, which I think is incredible.
“At the end of my career, I think people remember what you’ve won – not what you’ve lost- and this will just go down as part of my journey, I think, and on reflection I’ll be quite happy.”
On the race itself, she said: “I thought I had it. I didn’t sense the other Kenyan coming on the outside. But there wasn’t really much more I could do. I left it all out there. In the last five metres, my legs were falling off.”
Speaking to the BBC, Hodgkinson added: “I’m happy for the both of us [her and Bell]. We both got a medal. It’s my third 1:54 [since returning to action] and to be consistent like that, especially after the year I’ve had, it’s not what I came here for but I can’t be too disappointed.”
Hodgkinson’s performance was made all the more impressive by the fact she was also dealing with a stomach issue, a fact she seemingly underplayed according to UK Athletics’ performance director, Paula Dunn.
“Two races is probably not enough, especially after so long out,” said Hodgkinson. “I felt really bad in the semis but looking back, I think my stomach was playing up a little bit. It’s nothing that if I was in everyday life would affect you. But I guess when you’re trying to run at that level …”
However, Dunn later revealed that the 23-year-old’s stomach problem was worse than she had been letting on, adding: “She’s been unwell. She wouldn’t make any excuses, but she has been unwell the last few days.
“Keely could quite easily have not come. When I spoke to her in April, I suggested, because she had two massive years, she could miss this. She said absolutely not. For her to put reputation on the line, to run unwell with minimal races, is amazing.”
After the race, Hodgkinson was quick to enjoy the Tokyo nightlife, with the Olympian taking to Instagram to share a video of her and Bell on stage singing.
Bell also shared photos and videos from the karaoke session, with the pair’s night out on the town heading into the early hours. The silver medallist shared a shot of her and Hodgkinson singing as the clock approached 1am, before being snapped in a branch of McDonalds two hours later.
AloJapan.com