Keely Hodgkinson paid tribute to the sold-out European Athletics Championships crowd at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham after finishing second in the women's 800 metres final. Just over 23,000 fans cheered her on to a silver medal, her first non-gold on the European stage.
Hodgkinson's Reaction to Silver
The 24-year-old, who was the defending champion, jokingly removed the silver medal from around her neck during a post-race interview with the BBC. She said: "I'm kidding, that was a joke. Yeah, a bit of mixed emotions. I think with that level of competition, any medal is a really good achievement, so another one to add to my collection, I can never be disappointed with that. But yeah, I was the defending champion, so I wanted to do that."
Her nine-word message on social media read: "Beautiful night, thank you Birmingham!!!! Your support was incredible." She also posted a photo with her parents, Dean and Rachel, proudly holding the silver medal.
Race Analysis
Hodgkinson finished in 1:55.01, behind Switzerland's Audrey Werro, who won her first senior international title with a championship-record time of 1:54.81. Reflecting on the race, Hodgkinson said: "I knew it was going to come down to the wire. I really thought I was going to win today, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be. I didn't do anything wrong. It's just one of those things."
She added: "I think there were so many different ways that could have played out, and we'd figure it out after the first 100m. Audrey was happy to take it on, and with that wind, I was happy to let her."
Looking Forward
Despite the defeat, Hodgkinson remained upbeat: "I don't want it to be easy. We're all going to win some, lose some. S*** happens. Audrey fell over yesterday; she did amazingly to bounce back. I know what that took out of me a few weeks ago, so yeah, incredible to her. And, yeah, life goes on. I'll go back and train, and just hope I get it next time."
She concluded: "It doesn't sting because I was beaten by a great athlete. I think I put together a pretty good race. I don't think I did anything wrong. The thing about the 800 metres is you have a million different ways it could go in your head. Nobody really knew, so you have to think on your feet, but I think I covered every move well. I just didn't have enough."
