Keely Hodgkinson, newly appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire, only began to truly realize her significant impact after winning Olympic gold in Paris, her coaches say.
The 22-year-old capped a brilliant 2024 by winning Sports Personality of the Year in December and kicks off 2025 by being included in the New Year Honors List for her services to athletics.
Hodgkinson, then 19, won silver in the 800 meters at the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics three years ago, but found her life changed forever after improving at the Stade de France in August.
Jenny Meadows, who alongside husband Trevor Painter was named SPOTY Coach of the Year, told the PA news agency: “Every time someone said to her before she won the gold medal , ‘you are a role model, my young girl.’ looks at you, etc’, she’s so nice that she doesn’t see herself like that But now I think she’s like, ‘OK, now I’ve won an Olympic gold medal, so I understand that. “.
“And she always says, ‘It’s so strange the difference between silver and gold.’ And obviously it was an Olympics, it’s the biggest stage, but I think she owned it, in a very kind and humble way.
“The values are very similar to ours, in the sense that it’s about humility, hard work (and) fun,” said Painter, who added: “I feel like since the Now, we got the real Keely back, because there was all this pressure and all these expectations on her at a very young age, and she was having a hard time dealing with it all.
“But she’s out of that phase now, and she’s now an Olympic champion. She just goes back to that silly girl we always knew. She loves to laugh, joke, and is ready to roll up her sleeves and work hard.
Hodgkinson’s season ended prematurely after sustaining a minor injury after Paris.
She plans to mark her return to competition by attempting to break the indoor 800 meter world record in February in her own newly launched event, the ‘Keely Klassic’, on February 15 in Birmingham.
In September, the reigning world silver medalist will attempt to win her first world title when she travels to the world championships in Tokyo.
Commenting on her latest accolade, Hodgkinson said: “It’s so incredible to be recognized and to have received this award. This year has been incredibly special for so many reasons and it’s such a lovely surprise to have been honored in this way. Looking forward to 2025.”
World Athletics chairman Lord Coe said last month that “the real deal” Hodgkinson had already reached the ranks of Britain’s greats.
Her triumph in 1:56.72 made her only the third British woman to win the Olympic 800 meters title after Ann Packer – who was also made an MBE – in 1964 and Dame Kelly Holmes in 2004.
Britain’s only gold medal in athletics in Paris was the ultimate reward for an athlete who recovered last winter from an injury that forced her to lose 10 precious weeks of training .
Hodgkinson battled back from illness to defend her European Championships title in April, then lowered her own British 800 meters record with a time of 1:54:61 at the London Diamond League in July – making she has the sixth fastest woman in history on her record. signing distance.