Keely Hodgkinson had a great victory in the Women’s 800 meters, taking gold in a fantastic race!
Keely Hodgkinson In her own words (and those of her coach, Trevor Painter)*
Keely on Keely
1. Are you enjoying the celebrity aspect of your life – Fashion shoots, etc?
Keely Hodgkinson: It’s been really fun. I’ve enjoyed being in a different space. I’ve always loved to explore the opportunities the track brings me away from training and away from the track. It’s just good to see athletics in that limelight, in a different field, and it looks great.
2. Pressure – how are you dealing with it?
Keely Hodgkinson: I’m not going to say it doesn’t go through my head or anything like that but it does kind of help to forget about it. What happened at the London Diamond League 2024 was great and fills me with confidence. But I’ve still got two more weeks to go and the rounds to navigate before Paris. There is pressure there. For me, I’ll just go back to basics, take it race by race and get the job done each round, and go from there.
3. Three silvers – did that drive you on through winter?
Keely Hodgkinson: I think you can see it in my performances. When I stepped out in Eugene I was really determined to get the win there. That was a good opportunity to see where we were at and it went really well. Going into London I just wanted to give it my all. To knock 0.7 off my national record is just so great. The way I ran it as well, leading the whole way, I think there could be more in there. It depends how it goes. It shows how much work I’ve put in and how much I want it.
4. Talk about your winter South African training camp, injury and illness?
Keely Hodgkinson: A lot of this year has been about perseverance. It’s not gone smoothly when I think about it. I’ve had a lot of challenges personally on the track and off it. To see it all come together like in the last 10 days [London DL etc] has been very satisfying. I’ve just worked hard, kept my head down and even when I was injured and out for a while, it felt like one thing after another. In those times you just have to be consistent, keep going and that’s how I’ve got where I am. Missing indoors was a blessing in disguise, allowing me to put together…
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