The trimmings of success can anticipate Nice Britain’s new Olympic 800m champion
She’s going to look into shopping for a Porsche, “Although I don’t know if my insurance coverage will let me,” laughs Keely Hodgkinson. The newly topped 800m Olympic champion additionally has her eye on a gold Cartier ring to commemorate a second on the Stade de France that may stay lengthy within the reminiscence.
For now, although, the one shiny object that issues is the medal she’s going to be capable of hold round her neck, whereas the post-championships reward she is most wanting ahead to is a few high quality time along with her family members on a household vacation in Marbella. Oh, and having the ability to let the eating regimen slip a bit to accommodate the odd chocolate brownie or two.
The 22-year-old’s win means $50,000 in prize cash shall be heading into her checking account from World Athletics and her new standing within the sporting world means but extra sponsors will come calling and the media curiosity will develop ever bigger, however for now these exterior trappings of success can wait for an additional day.
After ready three years to expertise her first world title, she goes to savour this one. The primary stage of doing that got here in a Parisian bar late on Monday evening.
“I joined my household, I do not know the place,” says Hodgkinson within the midst of the spherical of early morning media follow-up interviews that include medal success. “It was nice. Everybody was drunk, as you may think about, however they had been actually, actually completely happy so it was good to have fun with them. The bar was completely rammed with pals and faces I hadn’t seen in a very long time. It was nice to have that help.”
(Getty)
After crossing the road to win the primary world title of her profession, Hodgkinson was enveloped by a maelstrom of publicity and a spotlight because the feelings poured out. There had been the strain related to being the large favorite, the frustrations of coming away from successive World Championships with silver, the need for the years and months of labor to come back to fruition proper when she wished them to.
“It was about 4 o’clock within the morning after I lastly had a second to myself,” she says, reliving the hours that adopted victory. “I watched the race again and it was actually good to see and to take heed to the commentary. It was surreal. It would take some time to sink in nevertheless it’s undoubtedly an important factor.”
Her subsequent remark is telling, nevertheless. As she watched, Hodgkinson began to choose a few holes within the efficiency. It’s clear that no laurels are about to be rested on and there’s rather more of a sense that that is only the start for her, fairly than the height of a profession.
“The race wasn’t really certainly one of my best, to be trustworthy,” she stated of the 1:56.72 that stored her away from Tsige Duguma and Mary Moraa. “I’d have preferred it to have been a bit bit tougher. However all that mattered actually was that we acquired the job accomplished, stayed composed, I might really feel Mary approaching me however finally I knew I used to be going to be exhausting to beat as a result of I do really feel like I’m in one of the best form I’ve ever been in, so I simply needed to belief in that and I delivered.”
There shall be extra races to run in 2024, whereas the 800m world report could nicely lie in her future, nevertheless it’s to the Costa del Sol that Hodgkinson’s thoughts has already turned.
“My mother and father and me, what we might love is a few high quality time collectively,” says the European champion, who splits most of her yr between Manchester and South Africa when she isn’t travelling to competitions. “I don’t get to see them fairly often. I don’t stay at house any extra. They’ve gone out to Marbella for a vacation so I’m going to go and be part of them and the remainder of the household for a number of days. That’s sufficient for me.”
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