The Olympic 800m champion had a stellar season, which culminated with a surprising gold over two laps in Paris
Keely Hodgkinson is one in all six nominees for this yr’s BBC Sports activities Character of the 12 months.
The 22-year-old, after three consecutive silver medals in international championships, secured that coveted gold medal on the Paris Olympics.
In a commanding efficiency, Hodgkinson clocked 1:56.72 to see off the challenges of Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma and Kenya’s Mary Moraa, the latter who’d beforehand overwhelmed the Brit to each world and Commonwealth titles.
After her victory in Paris, Hodgkinson joined Kelly Holmes (2004) and Ann Packer (1964) because the third British Olympic feminine champion within the 800m.
Keely Hodgkinson celebrates with Trevor Painter (Getty)
It was additionally Nice Britain’s first monitor and area gold on the Olympics since Mo Farah in 2016 and the primary by a feminine athlete since Jessica Ennis-Hill in 2012.
Hodgkinson’s victory on the Stade de France, and her subsequent choice to finish the season in Paris, meant that she went an entire season unbeaten over 800m.
Simply earlier than the Video games, the Brit lowered her personal nationwide file to a scintillating 1:54.61 on the London Diamond League, with compatriots Jemma Reekie and Georgia Bell in second and third respectively.
That point put Hodgkinson sixth on the worldwide all-time checklist within the 800m and there are actually hopes that she may get close to Jarmila Kratochvílová’s world file – the oldest within the sport – of 1:53.28 from 1983.
Hodgkinson additionally retained her European 800m title with a gutsy run on the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Georgia Bell, Keely Hodgkinson and Jemma Reekie (Getty)
Defying sickness, the Brit clocked 1:58.65 to see off the problem from Slovakia’s Gabriela Gajanová and France’s Anaïs Bourgoin.
If Hodgkinson was to win BBC Sports activities Character of the 12 months, then she’d turn out to be the nineteenth winner from athletics within the occasion.
The final athlete from monitor and area to choose up the coveted trophy was Farah in 2017.
Different earlier winners from athletics embrace: Christopher Chataway (1954), Gordon Pirie (1955), Dorothy Hyman (1963), Mary Rand (1964), David Hemery (1968), Mary Peters (1972), Brendan Foster (1974), Steve Ovett (1978), Seb Coe (1979), Daley Thompson (1982), Steve Cram (1983), Fatima Whitbread (1987), Liz McColgan (1991), Linford Christie (1993), Jonathan Edwards (1995), Paula Radcliffe (2002) and Holmes (2004).
Alex Yee (Getty)
Alex Yee may also hope to be the primary ever triathlete to win the distinguished award.
The 26-year-old loved a spectacular season and was topped each particular person Olympic and world triathlon champion.
He was additionally a part of the Nice Britain relay staff that secured a bronze medal in Paris.
The opposite 4 nominees are: Luke Littler, Sarah Storey, Jude Bellingham and Joe Root.
Hodgkinson’s largest rival for this yr’s award is prone to be Littler, who catapulted himself to stardom in darts this yr.
Not solely did Littler make the World Championship last on debut as a 16-year-old however he backed it up with 10 main trophies.
This yr’s BBC Sports activities Character of the 12 months takes place in Manchester on December 17.
» Subscribe to AW journal right here, try our new podcast right here or signal as much as our digital archive of again points from 1945 to the current day right here
