Keely Hodgkinson's coach has defended the athlete's use of the all-black Nike running suit, with the runner not being able to wear the outfit at the next Olympics. Hodgkinson wore the catsuit during the all-female Athlos event in London last month, where she won the 800m in commanding fashion.
Statement piece defended by coach
Hodgkinson's choice to wear the outfit certainly caught the eye, with the 24-year-old admitting after the event that she "wanted to feel a little bit sexy". The suit was inspired by Australian legend Cathy Freeman, who wore a similar outfit while winning gold at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
However, Hodgkinson will be unable to wear the outfit when representing Team GB at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, due to the team having a partnership with Adidas rather than Nike, who made the suit.
Coach explains the decision
Jenny Meadows, one of Hodgkinson's coaches, has defended the decision to wear the outfit and explained why the choice was a "statement" by the athlete.
"Keely is an innovator, she's always wanted to do things differently and she's a big lover of fashion," Meadows told Athletics Weekly. "She shouted over, 'Trev [fellow coach Trevor Painter] and Jen, what do you think of this?' My initial reaction was like, 'Oh, you've got to be brave to wear that.'"
"And Trevor was kind of like, 'Yeah, you look Catwoman, Go for it. It's so you.' Nike were so respectful of us as coaches because they obviously wanted us to be really, really comfortable with it."
"Because at the end of the day, we think about performance and it's not just what you look like. You've got to think: Is it faster or is it just a gimmick? You've actually got to walk out in front of an audience the first time and you've got to win in that thing. It's a statement piece."
Athlete's inspiration
"She was literally like, 'Guys in this speed suit, I can run.' She says it feels like she's not wearing anything. She says, 'Honestly, it feels just so light. I can flow.'"
Hodgkinson explained why she chose to wear the outfit at the Athlos in London last month, stating that she drew inspiration from Freeman.
"[Freeman] was before I was born, but I have seen the race and photos. It was really cool to draw inspiration from the past and make it your own as well," Hodgkinson said. "The style was a big thing for me."
"I wanted to be comfortable but I wanted to feel a little bit sexy, the back's open and that makes it feel really cool. It feels like I'm wearing nothing to be honest."
