Team GB’s Keely Hodgkinson is set to compete for gold in Monday night’s women’s 800m final in Paris, aiming to surpass her remarkable debut three years ago.
The Atherton native made a significant impact on the global stage at the Tokyo Games, where she won a silver medal in the 800m at just 19. Now 22, she is considered one of the top contenders for gold.
Hodgkinson enters the final with high confidence, having set a new national women’s record for the 800m just days before the Paris Olympics commenced.
However, she faces tough competition from some of the world’s most accomplished middle-distance runners, including Team USA’s Juliette Whittaker, Ethiopia’s Worknesh Mesele, and Kenya’s Mary Moraa, all of whom have qualified for the final.
Hodgkinson is no stranger to success, having won the European title in 2022 and 2024, as well as the European indoor title in 2021 and 2023.
She also earned silver medals at the World Championships in 2022 and 2023, and at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Despite her impressive track record, details about her life outside athletics are less well-known. Here’s what you need to know about Keely Hodgkinson beyond the spotlight.
At the age of 13, Hodgkinson faced a “scary” situation when a non-cancerous tumour was discovered in her left ear. The tumour, which had been growing for a decade, had damaged the bones in her ear and was pressing on her spine.
She underwent surgery to remove it, which resulted in her being 95 percent deaf on one side. Nevertheless, she was able to recover and continue pursuing her athletic dreams.
“I had a mastoidectomy, which is a type of tumour—non-cancerous, but it wasn’t life-threatening. It had been growing for 10 years,” she explained.
“It crushed through my hearing bones and was touching my spine. The decision was to remove it or leave it and risk it hitting the spine, potentially causing facial palsy.
For a 13-year-old girl, that was quite frightening, but since the bones were already damaged, it was necessary to remove it. This is why I had hearing problems growing up.”
Though now known as ‘The Hodge’, Hodgkinson grew up in Atherton with the nickname ‘Mini Ella’ due to her close friendship with a well-known sports figure.
Hodgkinson was childhood friends with Manchester United and England footballer Ella Toone, who was two years ahead of her in school.
They remain close, with Toone sharing a nostalgic photo of them as children in 2021 and referring to them as “Just two girls living their dreams.”
Hodgkinson reflected on their friendship in an interview with the Mirror, saying, “We are just two young girls living their dreams. Ella and I went to school together.
She was two years older, but we got on really well. I was known as the ‘mini Ella,’ so we’ve always stayed in touch.”
While many athletes at the Paris Games have substantial fortunes, Hodgkinson, at 22, has a comparatively modest estimated net worth of around £250,000, according to 888sport.
Her parents initially supported her Olympic aspirations with limited resources, as funding from UK Athletics was slow to materialize during the pandemic.
While still a student at Leeds University, she received a significant boost when multi-millionaire Barrie Wells matched her National Lottery funding, allowing her to travel for competitions and training camps.
Hodgkinson also benefits from endorsement deals with Nike and luxury watchmaker Omega.