Keely Hodgkinson has revealed that she may need to take a temporary step away from athletics if she is to achieve her ambition of competing well into her 30s. The Olympic 800m champion is currently enjoying a stellar period, having shattered the world indoor record and claimed world indoor gold earlier this year.
Plans for Extended Break
The 24-year-old, who has already competed in two Olympics in Tokyo and Paris, has her sights set on three further Games appearances, which would see her compete until the age of 36. However, Hodgkinson has disclosed that she may require a sabbatical, potentially to start a family, to prolong her career.
In a joint interview with training partner and fellow middle-distance star Georgia Hunter Bell for The Times, Hodgkinson stated: "To extend a career from 19 to 34 is a big ask, but I'd like to do it. I might need a year off at some point, perhaps when I'm 30." She then jokingly said to world indoor 1500m champion Hunter Bell, 32: "We're going to get pregnant together that year, aren't we?"
Bond with Georgia Hunter Bell
Hodgkinson and Hunter Bell, who both train under coaches Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, have developed a close friendship alongside their competitive rivalry. Hodgkinson remarked: "We've become friends before we've become competitors, so maybe that's what is different about us, why it works." She added: "That's probably the difference. We get on really well. But she only became an 800m rival last year. Maybe it would have been different if Georgia had wanted to come into this group now. It's been a different journey, for sure."
Recent Achievements
Hodgkinson, who secured bronze at last year's World Championship in Tokyo after recovering from injury, recently triumphed with a commanding victory in the 800m at the World Indoor Championships in Poland. She recorded a championship-record time of 1 minute, 55.3 seconds, the second-fastest indoor performance in history, behind the world record she set in Lievin, France, in February. She is now targeting the long-standing outdoor record.
Hunter Bell, following a different career path, returned to athletics during the pandemic and left her full-time tech sales role after winning 1500m bronze at the 2024 Olympics. Speaking about her bond with Hodgkinson, she said: "I need to also take in how far I've come, because obviously she's been setting amazing goals. But then I'm like, 'My goals are also great!' It might not be a world record, but it's so exciting for me that I've got a British record. Keely is super supportive and Trev and Jen are as well."
Hunter Bell added: "I think we're able to run a lot faster because we're together. I think there pretty much won't be a race this year where we're both not competing in the same event or the same championships. Our lives are just so similar. It's kind of like sisters. Just a family. We can get on each others' nerves as well, but I feel like overall it is a really good thing."
