Keely Hodgkinson became the nation's hero when she won gold in the 800m race at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 22-year-old middle distance runner, who won her first national title at 15, became the first British woman to triumph in the athletics event in 20 years since Kelly Holmes in 2004.
Grazia caught up with her after her record-breaking win...
GRAZIA: Can you describe how it felt to win Olympic gold after a series of near-misses at global finals?
KEELY HODGKINSON: There was so much passion in that moment. The atmosphere in the stadium was absolutely incredible with the crowd really involved in what was going on on the track. But the first feeling was probably relief! It’s been a stressful couple of days, going through the rounds to make sure I got to the final and could achieve what I wanted to achieve. That’s a really difficult challenge to set for yourself so when you do get there it’s a mixture of everything: joy, excitement, stress, relief, happiness. It’s really a great feeling.
G: You’ve previously spoken about feeling like you had to grow up quickly, thanks to being a teenager in the spotlight. How do you balance being a professional athlete with the life changes women in their early twenties experiences?
KH: In your twenties you go through so much and you’re learning about yourself all the time - what you like, what you don’t like, what kind of life you want to live, and who you want to be. There are some big changes that come with that. It was tough at first being 19 years old and thrust into being an athlete overnight. It was everything I could have hoped for but it definitely took a lot of getting used to. I live a very different life to a lot of my friends but I also know there’s nothing wrong with that. Right now I’m the most comfortable I’ve ever felt, I know myself and I’m happy with who I’ve become.
G: How do you stay so calm under enormous pressure?
KH: The final is the most fun part. The stress is just getting through the rounds and ensuring you actually get there. You don’t want to go out in the heats! When you’ve been talking about getting the Olympic gold, the worst thing you can do is not even make it to the final race. So, for me, it’s just getting through the rounds and then in the final, all I can do is give my best. That’s what keeps me calm. If I can walk away saying I’ve done my absolute best and given everything, then the outcome is what the outcome will be.
G: Who are your idols?
KH: I have two main idols. One is Jessica Ennis-Hill. She was the idol for young girls back in London 2012 and she was the one who got me back into the sport 12 years ago. My other idol would be Michael Jordan. I watched his documentary and I just loved his determination, his character, his passion. I feel I can resonate with some of it.
G: How do you hope your win inspires more young girls to realise they can achieve great things in athletics?
KH: I’d hope that people would look up to me and see that I just love to do my best and I work really hard to do so and to even be here. But I also want them to know that everyone’s journey is different, so just focus on yourself and your goals and shoot for the stars.
G: Do you have any pre-race beauty rituals?
KH: I like to get ready for a race how I would get ready to go out sometimes. The night before I’ll be doing my fake tan and having my facials, then on race day it’s just simple steps - I do my make up, I always have my nails done, and I’ll have decided earlier in the week how I’ll have my hair. It sets a nice process for me of getting ready to go out and perform. I’m partnered with Nike and they have an Athlete House here in Paris which is somewhere that we can come away from the track to prepare, relax and get ready. There’s recovery stations, spaces to chill with our families and an amazing nail and beauty set up for pre and post-race so it’s nice to know we have that support available too if we need it!