As the curve of the final bend of the Olympic women's 800m final began to straighten, three women were lurking on Keely Hodgkinson's shoulder: waiting for her to wobble, to wilt, to walk away clutching silver again. But this time the 22-year-old from Wigan would not be denied. With a fearlessness that has become her trademark, she kicked for home with an intensity that shook the Stade de France and left her rivals wading through lactic. At last, she was an Olympic champion.
There was a glance up to the stadium scoreboard to make sure there were no gremlins about to steal her moment, before a scream of exhilaration and a thump of the right fist. And then the tears started to flow.
Could you blame her? Hodgkinson could have been forgiven for having PTSD on the start line given that she had returned from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the 2022 and 2023 world championships with three silver medals. But this was a different Hodgkinson. She knew that. And so, eventually, did her opponents.
"That was absolutely incredible," she said. "I have worked so hard for this over the last year. And I think you can see how much it meant to me when I crossed the line. I can't believe I have finally done it. And to do it here, where better? The audience was absolutely incredible. It felt like a home crowd to me, and it is held in Paris. I am super happy."
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