Atherton-born Keely Hodgkinson has grabbed Great Britain's first gold medal at Paris 2024 after winning the 800m women's final in sublime fashion
Keely Hodgkinson has been crowned the 800m women's Olympic champion. The Atherton-born runner, who grabbed silver in the same event at Tokyo 2020, beat competition from the likes of Kenya's Mary Moraa to come out on top at the Stade de France in Paris.
Hodgkinson's likeable personality has made her a popular figure within the GB team. Her early mentor, Margaret Galvin, has recalled how Hodgkinson was "always special". In 2020, Hodgkinson shattered the British record set by Kelly Holmes at the Olympics and is also a two-time European indoor champion and a Commonwealth Games silver medallist. Hailing from Atherton, near Wigan in Greater Manchester, Keely stands at 5ft 7in tall.
"If you keep it in and let it grow, it can hit the spine and I could end up with Facial Palsy. Now that was quite scary for a 13-year-old girl to think that could happen, but the bones were already crushed anyway so they tried to save them but that turned out why I had a lot of hearing problems growing up."
Toone, aged 24, is an attacking midfielder for Manchester United and the England national women's team. Hodgkinson's training bucks the trend, as she eschews long-distance runs in favour of sprints.
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