Olympics GOLD: Keely Hodgkinson storms to victory in 800m final as she brings home Team GB's first Athletics medal in Paris

Olympics GOLD: Keely Hodgkinson storms to victory in 800m final as she brings home Team GB's first Athletics medal in Paris

Keely Hodgkinson has won Britain’s first athletics gold medal in the women's 800m final in Paris

PA
Georgina Cutler

By Georgina Cutler


Published: 05/08/2024

- 20:59

Updated: 05/08/2024

- 22:08

The 22-year-old becomes the third British woman to win the Olympic 800m gold

Keely Hodgkinson has won Britain’s first athletics gold medal in the women's 800m final in Paris.

The 22-year-old took the lead on the first lap before winning in 1min 56.72sec.


She becomes the third British woman to win the Olympic 800m gold and the 12th gold of the Games.

The runner won silver during her Olympic debut as a teenager in Tokyo three years ago.

Keely Hodgkinson has won Britain’s first athletics gold medal in the women's 800m final in ParisPA

Ethiopia's Tsige Duguma won silver behind Hodgkinson, while world champion Moraa was third at Stade de France.

Hodgkinson's win is Britain’s first athletics gold since Mo Farah won the 5,000m and 10,000m double at Rio 2016.

Speaking on the BBC, Jessica Ennis-Hill said: "I am literally shaking, I am blown away.

"Keely Hodgkinson is the most incredible woman, human being but athlete as well.

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"I’m so happy for her, she absolutely deserves every moment.

"To see her coach Trevor, to see her coach Jenny, her physio Ollie Rose, all those people who have been around her from the very start nurturing her and helping her to be the best that she can be when it really matters.

"She has delivered, she has delivered with all that pressure."

Following her incredible win, Hodgkinson grabbed a Union Jack flag, hugged Britain's World Athletics boss Sebastian Coe and high-fived fans.

The 22-year-old took the lead on the first lap before winning in 1min 56.72sec

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Speaking after the race, she said: "I'm super happy... I'm now the Olympic champion for the next four years and no one can take that away from me."

It comes after the Team GB women's cycling sprint trio broke the world record three times on their way to gold in the velodrome.

Joe Clarke and Kimberley Woods received a silver and bronze in the kayak cross as well as a bronze in the mixed triathlon relay.

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