EXCLUSIVE Team GB star Keely Hodgkinson vows to make one MASSIVE purchase if she wins gold at the Paris Olympics as the track star embarks on titanic quest for glory Keely Hodgkinson is aiming for gold with Team GB at this year's Olympic Games The track star has enjoyed a hugely successful preparation heading into Paris The 22-year-old star is now amongst the favourites for gold in the 800m event By David Coverdale Published: 12:00 EDT, 21 July 2024 | Updated: 12:10 EDT, 21 July 2024 e-mail View comments An Olympic gold medal is not the only shiny thing Keely Hodgkinson has her eye on this summer. ‘I saw a really nice car on Pinterest,’ she tells Mail Sport. ‘My brother was like, “Do you know how expensive they are?”, and I said, “If I win the Olympics , I will get myself that car”.
I think it’s a Porsche Cayman. As long as it’s sporty, beige and it’s looks nice, that’s all that matters to me!’ Should she win the 800 metres in Paris, Hodgkinson will have at least £38,000 to put towards her dream car — which retails from £55,000 — thanks to the prize money offered by World Athletics to gold medallists. The British star, though, knows that a first Olympic title would be worth a lot more than that.
‘It can definitely change your life,’ she admits. Hodgkinson’s life has already changed since the last Games in Tokyo in 2021, when she won a surprise silver aged only 19, a result she replicated at the last two World Championships. Team GB's Keely Hodgkinson is striving for gold at this summer's upcoming Olympics in Paris Hodgkinson is amongst the favourites to win the 800m athletics event in Paris Should Hodgkinson clinch gold in Paris then she already has her sights set on a new luxury sports car Hodgkinson has vowed to buy herself a Porsche Cayman (stock picture above) if she wins gold She has earned sponsorship deals with the likes of Nike and Omega, appeared on the covers of Vogue and Elle, and was one of four British athletes followed for Channel 4 documentary Path to Paris, which aired on Saturday.
However, were Hodgkinson, 22, to become the first British female track and field athlete to win an Olympic title since her hero Jessica Ennis-Hill in 2012, she would truly become a household name. ‘It’s such a big opportunity because the Olympics are relatable for the general population,’ she says. ‘Jess was a big inspiration for me.
She was the golden girl of British athletics. Her doing that in front of a home crowd elevated her. She is still so well-known.
Hopefully I can do that and whatever comes along, opportunity-wise or just inspiring people, will be great.’ Brand Keely is already being worked on. The Wigan runner uses a tornado emoji as her Instagram bio and her dad Dean has now used that on her logo, which he has had printed on 150 T-shirts supplied by Nike.
‘It’s nice for Nike to support my dad in doing something crazy like that,’ says Hodgkinson. ‘He has got designs for them so you will be able to spot my family from a mile away in Paris! I liked the emoji and I feel it represents me. It’s catching on.
It’s nice to have that, where people go, “Oh yeah, that’s Keely”.’ Those T-shirts will be out in force in the Stade de France on August 5, when Hodgkinson goes for gold. She is the favourite after destroying her own British record at the London Diamond League on Saturday, clocking 1min 54.
61sec – a second faster than the next best time set by her team-mate Jemma Reekie. World champion Mary Moraa is almost two seconds slower than Hodgkinson this year, while Olympic champion Athing Mu has failed to qualify after falling at the US trials. Such is Hodgkinson’s desire to beat the best, she is ‘gutted’ Mu will not be in Paris.
In 2021 Hodgkinson came from nowhere to break Kelly Holmes’ 800m British record to get on the Tokyo podium. Such was the comedown, however, Hodgkinson experienced depression. Hodgkinson previously won a surprise silver at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo and is determined to go one better this year World champion Mary Moraa (left) is almost two seconds slower than Hodgkinson this year Hodkinson is already building a brand for herself off the track while starring on it ‘It was a weird state of confusion,’ she explains.
‘I had this big adrenaline rush and then I was feeling a bit low. I was still training, I just didn’t have the passion. I was more forcing myself, like it was a job.
I had to overcome that and find that joy again.’ Since then, Hodgkinson has used a psychologist. She has also been learning to play piano.
‘I was aiming to play a French song called Voila,’ she says. ‘I started from scratch, trying to learn to play with both hands and trying to learn the notes. It was a nice distraction but that has been put on pause for now because I am a bit busy.
’ Busy, Hodgkinson hopes, winning gold medals and buying beige supercars. National Lottery have invested more than £300m in our elite athletes clubs, facilities and programmes across the country to enable more people to take part in the sport. Share or comment on this article: Team GB star Keely Hodgkinson vows to make one MASSIVE purchase if she wins gold at the Paris Olympics as the track star embarks on titanic quest for glory e-mail Add comment.
