The Olympic 800m champion had a stellar season, which culminated with a stunning gold over two laps in Paris
Keely Hodgkinson is one of six nominees for this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
The 22-year-old, after three consecutive silver medals in global championships, secured that coveted gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
In a commanding performance, Hodgkinson clocked 1:56.72 to see off the challenges of Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma and Kenya’s Mary Moraa, the latter who’d previously beaten the Brit to both world and Commonwealth titles.
After her victory in Paris, Hodgkinson joined Kelly Holmes (2004) and Ann Packer (1964) as the third British Olympic female champion in the 800m.
Keely Hodgkinson celebrates with Trevor Painter (Getty)
It was also Great Britain’s first track and field gold at the Olympics since Mo Farah in 2016 and the first by a female athlete since Jessica Ennis-Hill in 2012.
Hodgkinson’s victory at the Stade de France, and her subsequent decision to end the season in Paris, meant that she went a whole season unbeaten over 800m.
Just before the Games, the Brit lowered her own national record to a scintillating 1:54.61 at the London Diamond League, with compatriots Jemma Reekie and Georgia Bell in second and third respectively.
That time put Hodgkinson sixth on the global all-time list in the 800m and there are now hopes that she could get near Jarmila KratochvĂlová’s world record – the oldest in the sport – of 1:53.28 from 1983.
Hodgkinson also retained her European 800m title with a gutsy run at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Georgia Bell, Keely Hodgkinson and Jemma Reekie (Getty)
Defying illness, the Brit clocked 1:58.65 to see off the challenge from Slovakia’s Gabriela Gajanová and France’s Anaïs Bourgoin.
If Hodgkinson was to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year, then she’d become the 19th winner from athletics in the event.
The last athlete from track and field to pick up the coveted trophy was Farah in 2017.
Other previous winners from athletics include: 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 will also hope to be the first ever triathlete to win the prestigious award.
The 26-year-old enjoyed a spectacular season and was crowned both individual Olympic and world triathlon champion.
He was also part of the Great Britain relay team that secured a bronze medal in Paris.
The other four nominees are: Luke Littler, Sarah Storey, Jude Bellingham and Joe Root.
Hodgkinson’s biggest rival for this year’s award is likely to be Littler, who catapulted himself to stardom in darts this year.
Not only did Littler make the World Championship final on debut as a 16-year-old but he backed it up with 10 major trophies.
This year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year takes place in Manchester on December 17.
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