Keely Hodgkinson breaks curse to win 800m gold at Paris Olympics

On Monday night, the fastest 800m woman in the world this year Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson continued her incredible season on the world’s biggest stage, taking gold at the Paris Olympics in dominant fashion. Hodgkinson broke her silver-medal curse in the women’s 800m final with a perfectly executed performance, clocking 1:56.72 with two even 58-second lap splits.

Hodgkinson said in the post-race press conference that she felt relieved to finally get her hands on gold. “I wanted this moment for a long time—for the last three years, actually,” said Hodgkinson. “It hasn’t sunk in yet, but I imagine it will in a few days.”

Hodgkinson’s silver medal collection had grown a little too extensive for her liking; at just 19, she took silver behind Athing Mu of the U.S. at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and fell just short of the win at both the 2022 and 2023 World Championships behind Mu and Kenya’s Mary Moraa, respectively. In the reigning Olympic champion’s absence, Hodgkinson battled immense pressure as the clear favourite coming into the competition in Paris. In her semi-final, she showcased her abilities and confidence by easily cruising to win her heat with the fastest time in the round, 1:56.84.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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In the past year, Hodgkinson’s training has more closely resembled that of a sprinter than a middle-distance runner–which evidently, has worked. In July, the 22-year-old set a new British record of 1:54.61 at the London Diamond League, becoming the sixth-fastest woman in history over the 800m discipline.

Hodgkinson’s previous second-place position was claimed by Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma, who shocked the world by beating the reigning world champion, Moraa, in a personal best time of 1:57.15; Moraa took bronze in 1:57.42.

Athletics events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are taking place from Aug. 1-11. Today’s coverage is brought to you by Canadian Running and New Balance Canada. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for all things Team Canada and up-to-date exclusive news and content.